MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN

WORLD
THE NATURE OF
MATHEMATICS

PREPARED BY: IMIE L. FLORES, LPT

SHS FACULTY
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Learning Objectives
 To identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world.
 To articulate the importance of Mathematics on one’s life.
 To discuss the role of mathematics in some disciplines.
 To argue about nature of mathematics, what it is, how it is
expressed, represented and used.
 To express appreciation for mathematics as a human
endeavor.

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 Discussion
 The emergence of digital technology has sparked a
monumental rise in the rate at which we consume and produce
data. Before the internet, it could take hours to get several
volumes or resources from the library for a research paper.
Today, a few minutes (or seconds, depending on the speed of
your connection) using your mobile device’s browser could get
you the same information, or even more. A few decades ago, it
took hours for photographs to be printed and shared. Now, it
only takes a matter of seconds for your perfect selfie to be
uploaded and viewed by your relatives and friends on the other
side of the world.

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 In this fast – paced society, how often have you stopped
to appreciate the beauty of the things around you? Have
you ever paused and pondered about the underlying
principles that govern the universe? How about
contemplating about the processes and mechanisms that
make our lives easier, if not more comfortable? Most
people do the same routine tasks every day and the
fundamental concepts that make these activities possible
are often overlooked.

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 We tend to identify and follow patterns, whether
consciously or subconsciously. Recognizing patterns
feels natural, like our brain is hardwired to recognize
them. Early humans recognized the repeating interval
of day and night, the cycle of the moon, the rising of
falling of tides, and the changing of the seasons.
Awareness of these patterns allowed humans to survive.
In a similar fashion, many flora and fauna also follow
certain patterns such as the arrangement of leaves and
stems in a plant, the shape of a snowflake, the flower’s
petals, or even the shape of a snail’s shell.

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 In this chapter, we will be looking at patterns
and regularities in the world, and how
mathematics comes to into play, both in
nature and in human endeavors.

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What is mathematics?
 “We have developed a formal system of
thought for reorganizing, classifying, and
exploring patterns called mathematics.”
(Stewart, Edward )

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 Most of us have a skewed relationship with
math: we hate it for its drudgery or love it for its
consistency, but usually we don’t have a sense
of the whole picture. In truth, MATHEMATICS
IS AN ART. It’s easy to lose sight of the
elegance in the midst of technical details,
especially when aesthetics, motivation, and
simplicity – are absent from typical math
courses.

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 Mathematics is the art of patterns and
connections embedded in nature and in our
environment. We can use the following concept
map in defining Mathematics.

STUDY OF
PATTERNS

ARTS
Mathematics is
a/an …

SET OF PROBLEM
SOLVING TOOLS

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 Where is mathematics?
 We can see Mathematics everywhere in this world
though we sometimes ignore its presence. Everybody
enjoys nature however, not everyone is interested in
exploring more intensely the mathematical idea in it.
We apply it in our everyday life but we are not aware
that we are using it. For example, when you buy
something in the sari-sari store, you’re using
Mathematics by giving the exact amount to the seller.

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 Who uses mathematics?
 Mathematicians (pure and applied), scientist
(natural and social), and generally, everyone in
this world uses Mathematics. But different
people use different Math at different times, for
different purposes using different tools, with
different attitudes.

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 Real Numbers
 The set of numbers is called the real
number system that consists of different
subsets that can be represented graphically
on a number line.

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 Subsets of Real Numbers
 Natural/Counting Numbers – are the
numbers we use in counting things, that is
{1,2,3,4,…}.
 Whole Numbers- are numbers consisting of
the set of natural or counting numbers and
zero.
 Integers- are the result of the union of the set
of whole numbers and the negative of
counting numbers, that is {….-2,-1,0,1,2,…}.

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 PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN
NATURE AND THE WORLD
 In the general use of the world, patterns are regular,
repeated, or recurring forms or designs. We see patterns
every day – from the layout of floor tiles, designs of
skyscrapers, to the way we tie our shoelaces. Studying
patterns help students in identifying relationships and
finding logical connections to form generalizations and
make predictions.

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 What do you think will be the next face
in the sequence? It should be easy enough to
note that the patterns is made up of two
smiling faces – one without teeth and one
with smiley face and one with smirking face.
Beginning with the smiley face, followed by
the smirking face then alternate. Logically
the face that should follow is .

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 EXAMPLE 1. What comes next?
 What is the next figure in the pattern below?

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 Answer: Option 2
 Explanation:
 All the elements of the top row moves to
second row, second row elements move to third
row and third row elements move to first row.

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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1. What is the
next figure in the given pattern?

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 EXAMPLE 2. What number comes next
in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, _____?

 Solution. Looking at the given numbers, the

sequence is increasing, with each term being
two more than the previous term: 3 = 1+2; 5
= 3+2; 7 = 5+2; 9 = 7+2. Therefore, the next
term should be 11 = 9+2.

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 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 2.
What number comes next in 1, 4, 9,
16, 25, _____?

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 SOME EXAMPLES OF PATTERNS IN
NATURE
 Symmetry (Wikipedia) means agreement in
dimensions, due proportion and arrangement. In
everyday language, it refers to a sense of harmonious
and beautiful proportion in balance. In mathematics,
“symmetry” means that an object is invariant to any of
various transformations including reflection, rotation
and scaling.
 Recall that symmetry indicates that you can draw an
imaginary line across an object and the resulting parts
are mirror images of each other

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 The figure above is symmetric about the axis
indicated by the dotted line. Note that the left
and right portions are exactly the same. This
type of symmetry, known as line or bilateral
symmetry, is evident in most animals,
including humans. Look in a mirror and see
how the left and right sides of your face
closely match.

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 Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man showing the
proportions and symmetry of the human body
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 There are other types of symmetry depending on
the number of sides or faces that are
symmetrical. Take a look at these images.

The starfish has a five – fold Spiderwort with three – fold

symmetry. symmetry.
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A spiral is a curve which
enumerates from a point,
moving farther away as it
revolves the point.
Cutaway of a nautilus
shell shows that chambers
arranged in a
approximately logarithmic
spiral.

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 THE FIBONACCI SEQUENCE

 As we have seen in the previous section, the

human mind is hardwired to recognized
patterns. In mathematics, we can generate
patterns by performing one or several
mathematical operations repeatedly.

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 Sequence
 A sequence is an ordered list of numbers, called
terms that may have repeated values. The
arrangement of these terms is set by a definite
rule.
 Example 1. Generating a Sequence
 Analyze the given sequence for its rule and identify
the next three terms.

 5, 7, 11, 17, 25, 35, 47, …

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Solution
 A term –to –term rule gives a rule for finding each
term of a sequence from the previous terms or terms.
To generate a sequence from a term – to –term rule we
must also be given the first number in the sequence.

5, 7, 11, 17, 25, 35, 47, 61, 77, 95

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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1
 Analyze the given sequence for its rule and
identify the next three terms.
 A. 1, 10, 100, 1000, …
 B. 16, 32, 64, 128, …
 C. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 18, …

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 The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers
where a number is the addition of the last two
numbers, starting with 0, and 1.

 The Fibonacci Sequence: 

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55…
 Written as a rule, the expression is: Xn =
Xn-1 + Xn-2

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 The Fibonacci Spiral and the Golden Ratio
 The Fibonacci sequence is often visualized in a graph such as the
one in the header of this article. Each of the squares illustrates the
area of the next number in the sequence.  The Fibonacci spiral is
then drawn inside the squares by connecting the corners of the
boxes. The squares fit together perfectly because the ratio
between the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence is very close to
the golden ratio, which is approximately 1.618034. The larger the
numbers in the Fibonacci sequence, the closer the ratio is to the
golden ratio. The spiral and resulting rectangle are also known as
the Golden Rectangle.

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 The Origins of the Fibonacci
Sequence
 Fibbonaci (Leanardo Pisano Bogollo, Fibonacci was his
nickname) first introduced the series of numbers known as the
Fibonacci sequence in his book Liver Abaci in 1202. Fibonacci
was a member of an important Italian trading family in the 12th
and 13th century. Being part of a trading family, mathematics
was an integral part of the business. Fibonacci traveled
throughout the Middle East and India and was captivated by the
mathematical ideas from his travels. His book, Liver Abaci, was
a discourse on the mathematical methods in commerce that
Fibonacci observed during his travels.

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 Fibonacci discovered the sequence by posing
the following question:
 If a pair of rabbits is placed in an enclosed
area, how many rabbits will be born there if we
assume that every month a pair of rabbits
produces another pair and that rabbits begin to
bear young two months after their birth?

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 Start: At the start no rabbits are born, as the initial pair has not
had time to be pregnant and born (0).
 The first month: One pair of rabbits are born (1).
 The second month: Again, one pair of rabbits are born as the
new rabbits have not yet matured to bear young (1).
 The third month: Two pairs of rabbits reproduce, and one pair is
not ready, so two pairs of rabbits are born (2).
 The fourth month: Three pairs of rabbits reproduce and 2 pairs
of rabbits are not ready, so three pairs of rabbits are born (3).
 The fifth month: Five pairs of rabbits produce and three are not
ready, so five pairs of rabbits are born (5).
 And so on.

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 MATHEMATICS FOR OUR
WORLD
 We have seen in the preceding sections how
evident mathematics is in the natural world,
specifically in how the patterns that we
observe in nature follow logical and
mathematical structures. It is, therefore,
important that we learn mathematical concepts
and apply them in solving societal problems.

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Importance of Mathematics in Life
 According to Katie Kim (2015), Math is a subject that
makes students either jump for joy or rip their hair out.
However, math is inescapable as you become an adult
in the real world. From calculating complicated
algorithms to counting down the days till the next
Game of Thrones episode, math is versatile and
important, no matter how hard it is to admit. Before
you decide to doze off in math class, consider this list
of reasons why learning math is important to you and
the world.

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 1. Restaurant Tipping
 After you have finished eating at a restaurant,
it is common courtesy to pay your waiter a
generous tip. You need to have the most basic
math skills to calculate how much a 15% or
20% tip would be. Tipping your waiter shows
your appreciation for his service and
ultimately benefits the restaurant, too.

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 2. Netflix film viewing
 Let’s say you have approximately one hour until you
have to leave to go somewhere very important, like
your job or your grandmother’s birthday party. You
really want to fit in a couple Netflix episodes before
you leave, but you don’t know how many you will be
able to watch. You need math to figure that out! For
example, an episode of Friends on Netflix is about 20
minutes… so you would be able to fit 3 episodes in
that hour. As simple as it is, math just made your
hour 100 times better

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 3. Calculating Bills

 If you aren’t already, we will all be home –

owners and car – owners one day. With
ownership come the major responsibility of
staying on top of mandatory payment like
taxes, mortgage, and insurance. Math is
required to calculate these payments and
subtract them from your savings.

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 4. Calculating Test Scores
 It is towards the end of May, and for all high school
students, the school year is coming to an end very
soon. That also means final report cards will be
coming out. In order to finish with an A in that tough
class, you need to know what to get on the next test to
keep your average up. You need math to calculate that
test score (and maybe even to ace the test) to know
what your finale grade can be.

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 5. Tracking Career
 Math is needed for almost every single
profession in the world. If you want to be a
CEO, a real estate agent, biologist, or even a
rocket scientist, it is without doubt that
numbers will be utilized. Basically, you will
NEVER be able to escape math and you might
as well accept it and have fun learning while
your career does not depend on it.

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 6. Doing Exercise
 Getting in shape and staying fit means
achieving your health goals! Maybe you want
to meet a personal goal by the end of the
month. You need math to know how many
more reps to curl, or how many second to cut
off your mile time, or how many more pounds
to lose to achieve that goal.

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7. Handling Money
 Another aspect of growing up into a young
adult is opening and managing a bank
account. It is important to be accurate in
math to care for your precious savings,
making sure there are no mistakes.

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8. Making Countdowns
 For many, this will be the most important
reason on this list to know math: so you can
countdown the days until school is over and
summer starts!

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 9. Baking and Cooking
 Baking and cooking are hobbies enjoyed by
many. In order to prevent unexpected results,
you have to know the difference between a
quarter of a cup from a quarter of a teaspoon.
Baking + cooking = fractions = math!

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10. Surfing Internet
 Ultimately, without math, how would you
be reading this article online at this exact
moment? How would you be able to tweet
to your friends or post an Instagram from
last night? We have math to thank for
establishing technology and the social
media that consumes our live.

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 The Role of Mathematics in Some
Disciplines
 Mathematics is offered n any college course. It
is found in every curriculum because its theories
and applications are needed in any workplace.
That’s why students can’t say away from
attending math classes. There has to be
mathematics in the real world. This subject
always brings life to any person or professional.

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 As posted by Angel RathnabaiI (2014),
Mathematics is not only number work or
computation, but is more about forming
generalization, seeing relationships, and
developing logical thinking and reasoning.

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Here are some main discipline in which
the role of Mathematics is widely
accepted:
 1. Mathematics in Physical Science
 In Physics, every rule and principle take the
mathematical from ultimately. Mathematics
gives a final shape to the rules of physics. It
presents them in a workable form.
Mathematical calculations occur at every step
in physics.

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 2. Mathematics in Engineering and
Technology
 The use of mathematics in engineering is very well
known. It is considered to be the foundation of
engineering. Engineering deals with surveying, leveling,
designing, estimating, construction, etc. in all these
processes, application of mathematics is very important.
By the application of geometric principles to design and
constructions, the durability of things constructed can
be increased. With its help, results can often be verified
in engineering.

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3. Mathematics and Agriculture
 Agriculture as a science depends extensively on
mathematics. It needs a direct application of
mathematics, such as measurement of land and
area, average investment and expenditure,
average return or income, production per unit
area, cost of labor, time and work, seed rate etc.
progress of the farm can be judged by drawing
graphs of different items of production.

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4. Mathematics in Social Networks
 Graphs theory, texts analysis,
multidimensional scaling and cluster
analysis and a variety of special models are
some mathematical techniques used in
analyzing data on a variety of social
networks.

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 5. Mathematics in Linguistics
 The concepts of structure and transformation are
as important for linguistics they are for
mathematics. Development of machine
languages and comparison with natural and
artificial language require a high degree of
mathematical ability. Information theory,
mathematical biology, mathematical psychology
etc. are all needed in the study of Linguistics.

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 6. Mathematics in Management
 Mathematics in management is great challenge in
imaginative minds. It is not meant for the routine
thinkers. Different mathematical models are
being used to discuss management problems of
hospitals, public health, pollution, educational
planning and administration and similar other
problems of social decisions.

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 7. Mathematics in Computers
 An important area of applications of mathematics is in the
development of formal mathematical theories related to the
development of computer science. Now most applications of
mathematics to science and technology today are via computers.
The foundation of computer science is based only on
mathematics. It includes logic, relations, functions, basic set
theory, countability and counting arguments, proof techniques,
mathematical induction, graph theory, combinatory, discrete
probability, and number theory, computer – oriented numerical
analysis, Development of new Computer Languages, etc.

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8. Mathematics in Political Science

 In Mathematical Political Science, we analyze

past election results to a changes in voting
patterns and the influence of various factors on
voting behavior, on switching of votes among
political parties and mathematical models for
conflict resolution. Here we make use of Game
Theory.

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 9. Mathematics in Arts
 “Mathematics and art are just two different languages
that can be used to express the same ideas.” It is
considered that the universe is written in the language of
mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles,
and other geometric figures. Even Egyptian Pyramids,
the greatest feat of human architecture and engineering,
was based in mathematics. Artists who strive and seek
to study nature must therefore first fully understand
mathematics.

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10.  Mathematics and Psychology
 The great educationalist Herbart said, “It is not
only possible, but necessary that mathematics
be applied to psychology”. Now, experimental
psychology has become highly mathematical
due to its concern with such factors as
intelligence quotient, standard deviation, mean,
median, mode, correlation coefficients and
probable errors.

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 11. Mathematics for Prediction
 It is sometimes said that history repeats itself. As much
as we can use mathematical models using existing data
to generate analysis and interpretations, we can also
use them to make predictions. Applying the concept of
probability, experts can calculate the chance of an
event occurring. The weather is a prime example.
Based on the historical patterns, meteorologists can
make forecasts to help us prepare for our day – to –
day activities.

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 Appreciating Mathematics as a
Human Endeavor
 In order to appreciate mathematics much better, every
person should have the thorough understanding of the
discipline as a human endeavor. Mathematics brings
impact to the life a learner, worker, or an ordinary man in
society. The influences of mathematics affect anyone for
a lifetime. Mathematics works in the life of all
professionals. According to Mark Karadimos (2018), the
following professions use Mathematics in their scope and
field of work:

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 Accountants assist business by working on their taxes and
planning for upcoming years. They work with tax codes and
forms, use formulas for calculating interest, and spend a
considerable amount of energy organizing paperwork.
 Agriculturists determine the proper amounts of fertilizers,
pesticides and water to produce bountiful amounts of foods.
They must be familiar with chemistry and mixture problems.
 Computer Programmers create complicated sets of
instructions called programs/software to help us use computers
to solve problems. They must have a strong sense of logic and
have critical thinking and problem solving skills. 

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 Nurses carry out the detailed instructions doctors given them.
They adjust intravenous drip rates, take vitals, dispense medicine,
and even assist in operations.
 Politicians help solve the social problems of our time by making
complicated decisions within the confines of the law, public
opinion, and budgetary restraints.
 Salespeople typically work on commission and operate under a
buy low, sell high profit model. Their job requires good
interpersonal skills and the ability to estimate basic math
problems without the need of paper/pencil.
 Technicians repair and maintain the technical gadgets we depend
on like computers. Televisions, DVDs, cars, refrigerators. They
always read measuring devices, referring to manuals, and
diagnosing system problems.

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 Tradesmen (carpenters, electricians, mechanics, and plumbers)
estimate job costs and use technical math skills specific to their
field. They deal with slopes, area, volumes, distances, and must
have an excellent foundation in math.
 Architects design buildings for structural integrity and beauty.
They must know how to calculate for finding acceptable
materials in design which involves calculus.
 Lawyers argue cases using complicated lines of reason. That
skill is nurtured by high level of math courses. They also spend a
lot of time researching cases, which means learning relevant
codes, laws and ordinances. Building cases demands a strong
sense of language with specific emphasis on hypothesis and
conclusions.

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THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS


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