MATHEMATICS IN OUR

WORLD
Quite often, people confine mathematics to numbers and
arithmetic. In a way, it has brought about unfavorable attitude
towards the subject among students like you. However,
mathematics goes beyond calculations, it is a language by
which the universe is elegantly designed.
Patterns and numbers
 A pattern is a visible regularity or consistency in the world or in a man-made
design. Patterns and numbers are correlative. Counting happens when there is
pattern. When there is counting, there is logic. Therefore, pattern in nature
goes with logic or logical set-up. There are reasons behind a certain pattern.
That’s why, oftentimes, some people develop an understanding of patterns,
relationships, and functions and use them to represent and explain real – world
phenomena.
 At this point, we can say that mathematics is not all about numbers, rather, it is
more about reasoning, making logical inferences and generalizations, and seeing
relationships in both the visible and invisible patterns in the natural world. In
fact, mathematics is also known as the science of patterns.
Historically, mathematicians have dealt with two types of patterns –
numeric patterns and the geometric patterns or patterns of shapes. From
the words itself, you may already find the difference between the two.
But with man’s increasing need to understand even the slightest detail in
the universe, these patterns have possibly evolved.

Some common examples of patterns today are:

 logic patterns;
 patterns in nature (symmetry, spiral, meander, foam, stripes, fractal,
tessellation, wave);
 number patterns (the Fibonacci sequence)
Logic Pattern
Logic Pattern deals with the characteristics of various objects, or with order.
Some patterns appear in a sequence, while some has similar attributes. These
types of pattern are common in aptitude tests. Did you know that when you
apply for a job, most employers include logic patterns in their aptitude tests to
help them assess candidates? It’s a way of measuring mental ability and your
non-verbal skills.

Can you guess the next pattern in the sequence?

The answer is D
Patterns in Nature

Patterns in Nature. Human mind and culture have

developed a formal system of thought for recognizing,
classifying, and exploiting patterns. We call it mathematics.
Nature’s patterns are not just there to be admired, they are
vital clues to the rules that govern natural processes.
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Symmetry

 agreement in dimensions, due proportion and arrangement

 it refers to a harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance, just like
butterfly wings.
 the uterus is an example of symmetry, according to a gynecologist at the
University Hospital in Leuven in Belgium. Medical doctors can tell whether a
uterus looks normal and healthy based on its relative dimensions.
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Spiral
 a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves
around the point
 an example of a spiral is your fingerprint
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Meander
 a series of regular sinuous curves, bends, loops, turns, or windings in the channel of a
river, stream, or other water course
 all over the world rivers generally follow the same pattern (as the flow on one side of
the river gets faster, it begins to slow down the other, causing another curve to form,
and then another, until eventually you a snake-like river or meander)
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Foam

 a substance formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid

 a bath sponge, the head in a glass of beer, and soap foam or suds are just
some of the examples of foam
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Stripe

 made by a series of bands or strips, often of the same width and color along
the length, just like the stripes of a zebra, or stripe patterns found in plants
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Fractal
 an infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. Or
any pattern, that when seen as an image, produces a picture, which when
zoomed into will still make the same picture
 nature is full of fractals, for instance: trees, coastlines, mountains, seashells,
hurricanes, snowflakes and so on
 Used in modelling natural structures and occurrences like mountain formation
and erosion, crystal structures and a lot more
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Tessellation

 also known as tiling

 a pattern of shapes that fit perfectly together, and have no overlaps nor gaps.
 some tessellations found in nature are snake skin, and the hexagonal cells in a
honeycomb
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Other forms of Tessellation

Examples of Patterns in Nature

Wave

 a disturbance that transfers energy through matter or space, with little or no

associated mass transport.
 Surface waves in water show water ripples.
Examples of Patterns in Nature

Wave
Did you know that
 
Cross waves are square-
like patterns on the
ocean’s surface, beautiful
to look at but what lurks
beneath that amazing
sight are currents that can
wreck ships and pose a
threat to people in the
water.
Numeric Patterns
 Mathematics is very useful in making predictions. It is important that you are
able to recognize number pattern to help you develop your problem solving
skill.

To determine the next number in the sequence, you have to:

 define the rule that defines the number pattern, you have to look for
differences between two consecutive numbers;
 see if there is no logic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division,
squares, cubes, etc) in the differences, find other operations used in the
pattern; and
 if the numbers in a pattern change in the same way or in the same value
each time, then that type of pattern is called a repeating pattern
Try this Example

Example 1.
What is the next number in the sequence: 12, 13, 15, 18, 22, ____?

If you look at the given numbers, the difference between each pair of
consecutive terms in the sequence are: 1, 2, 3, 4. Clearly, the rule for this series is: add 1
to the first number, then add two to the resulting number, then add three to the resulting
number, then add 4, and so on.

 In this case, the next number to add with 22 is 5. Hence, the next number in the
sequence is 27.

 You can get the hang of it with more practice. Now try the next one.
Try this Example

Example 2.
Find the next two numbers in the sequence: 8, 13, 18, 23, 28, _____,
_____?

By just looking at the sequence, you can already see the pattern,
because the difference between two consecutive numbers is constant,
which is 5.

 In this case, to get the sixth number in the sequence, you have to
add 5 to 28, therefore, the resulting number is 33. And for the next
number in the sequence, add 5 to 33, therefore, the resulting
number is 38.