Section 1

The Nature of Mathematics

Mathematics in our World
Getting
to
Know
Mathematics
Living in a Universe of Patterns
The stars move in
circles around
the sky.
Living in a Universe of Patterns
The seasons cycle at yearly intervals.
Living in a Universe of Patterns
Tigers and zebras are covered in patterns of stripes.
Living in a Universe of Patterns
Leopards and hyenas are covered in patterns of dots.
Living in a Universe of Patterns
Intricate trains of waves march across oceans and deserts.
Living in a Universe of Patterns
Colored arcs of light adorn the sky in the form of rainbows.
 What is mathematics?

Mathematics, developed by human mind and culture, is a

formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying, and
exploiting patterns. (Stewart, p. 1)
By using mathematics to organize and systematize
our ideas about patterns, scientists have discovered a
great secret: nature's patterns are not just there to be
admired, they are vital clues to the rules that govern
natural processes.
Some of nature’s secrets revealed through the study of
patterns

• The regular nightly motion of the stars is a clue, that the

Earth rotates.
• Waves and dunes are clues to the rules that govern the
flow of water, sand, and air.
• The tiger's stripes and the hyena's spots attest to
mathematical regularities in biological growth and form.
• Rainbows tell us about the scattering of light.
The
Nature
of
Mathematics
 study of
patterns

art language

Mathematics
is a/an …..

set of problem- process of

solving tools thinking
 is a Mathematics is a
set of problem solving process of thinking
tools

is a  

language
study of patterns art
  which includes, among
other elements
examples of which can
which are propositions mathematical
can give rise reasoning either be inductive
each have a   to a
   
logic
patterns truth value propositional
can also functions
    be deductive
can be joined  
joined involves
number using a
which can be
 
patterns connective using use of
bit made true or
proofs
    operations false via
quantification
geometric
to form a    
patterns   and there are
compound contingency
which can
  different
can be proposition either be methods of
word shown as   proof
true or false
  universal
patterns can be a
via a  
  contradiction
which is valid if
tautology
based on
truth table
 
rules of
    existential
inference
 
which is invalid 
if based on

fallacy

Nocon and Nocon  

 Where is mathematics?
• in every people’s daily
task or activity
• in nature, arts, music,
medicine, and other
disciplines
• in communities
IT IS EVERYWHERE
 What is mathematics for?
• useful in making conclusions and/or predictions of the
events of the world

• used to describe the natural order and occurrences of the

universe

• used to organize patterns and regularities as well as

irregularities
 What is mathematics for?
• help to control weather, epidemics

• provide tools for calculations

• provide new questions to think about

What is mathematics all about?

numbers, symbols, equations, operations,

functions, calculations, abstractions, devising
proofs
The simplest mathematical objects are numbers, and
the simplest of nature's patterns are numerical.
• The phases of the moon make a complete cycle from new moon
to full moon and back again every twenty-eight days.
• The year is three hundred and sixty-five days long-roughly.
• People have two legs, cats have four, insects have six, and
spiders have eight.
• Starfish have five arms (or ten, eleven, even seventeen,
depending on the species).
The simplest mathematical objects are numbers, and
the simplest of nature's patterns are numerical.
In nearly all flowers, the number of petals is one of the
numbers that occur in the strange sequence 1, 2, 3, 5,
8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89.
The simplest mathematical objects are numbers, and
the simplest of nature's patterns are numerical.

• Marigolds have thirteen petals.

• Asters have twenty-one.
• Most daisies have thirty-four, fifty-five, or
eighty-nine.
 The Fibonacci Sequence
• Fibonacci’s rabbit problem.
At the beginning of a month, you are given a pair of newborn
rabbits. After a month the rabbits have produced no offspring;
however, every month thereafter, the pair of rabbits produces
another pair of rabbits. The offspring reproduce in exactly the
same manner. If none of the rabbits dies, how many pairs of
rabbits will there be at the start of each succeeding month?
The Fibonacci Sequence
The figure shows the
numbers of pairs of rabbits
on the first day of each of
the first six months. The
larger rabbits represent
mature rabbits that produce
another pair of rabbits each
month. The numbers in the
blue region—1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8—
are the first six terms of the
Fibonacci sequence.
 The Fibonacci Sequence
The sequence of numbers

1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 …

is called as the Fibonacci sequence. How do we obtain each term

in the sequence after the first two terms?
 The Fibonacci Sequence
•  Fibonacci discovered that the number of pairs of rabbits for any
month after the first two months can be determined by adding
the numbers of pairs of rabbits in each of the two previous
months.
• To get the term of a Fibonacci sequence after first two terms,
add the two previous terms; that is, if denotes the th term of a
Fibonacci sequence, then we have
, and = for
Fibonacci Numbers in Nature
The seeds on this sunflower form 34
clockwise spirals and 55 counterclockwise
spirals. The numbers 34 and 55 are
consecutive Fibonacci numbers.

Nature by Numbers | The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers

 How is mathematics done?
• with curiosity
• with a penchant for seeking patterns and generalities
• with the desire to know the truth
• with trial and error
• without fear of facing more questions and problems to
solve
 Who uses mathematics?
• mathematicians (pure and applied)

• scientists (natural and social)

• everyone
Why is mathematics important to
know / learn?
• It puts order in disorder.

• It helps us become better persons.

• It helps make the world a better place to live in.

References:
Calpa, M. J. PowerPoint Presentation. CHED–ADZU
NGECT 2.0
Stewart, I (1995). Nature’s Numbers. Basic Books
Nocon, R. and Nocon, E. Essential Mathematics for
the Modern World
Vistru-Yu, C. PowerPoint Presentation. CHED-GET
AdMU Training
Nature in Numbers. youtube.com
Thank you