CHAPTER 1

Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

At the end of the chapter you will be able to:
1. Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world;
2. Articulate the importance of Mathematics in one’s self;
3. Argue about the nature of mathematics, what it is, how
it is expressed, represented and used; and
4. Express appreciation for mathematics as a human
endeavor.
What is mathematics?
Mathematics, developed by human mind and culture, is a
formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying,
and exploiting patterns. (Ian Stewart, p.1)
Mathematics is perceived as a study of numbers,
symbols, and equations, an art of geometric shapes and
patterns, a universal language, a toll in decision-making
and problem solving, and a way of life to be exact and
precise.
 Indeed, mathematics is a study of
patterns, an art, a language, a set of
problem solving tools, and a process
of thinking. (Nocon and Nocon).
 Where is
mathematics?
Mathematics is in every people’s daily task or
activity. It is in nature, arts, music, medicine,
and in other disciplines. It is in our
communities. Mathematics is everywhere.
Moreover, there is always a substantial
interconnection and relationship between
mathematics, the world, and the universe.
What is mathematics for?
Mathematics is extremely useful in making conclusions
and/or prediction of the events of the world. It is used to
describe the natural order and occurrences of the universe.

In addition, it is used to organize patterns and regularities

as well as irregularities, to help us control weather and
epidemics, to provide tools for calculations, and to
provide new questions to think about.
What is mathematics
all about?
 Mathematics is about numbers,
symbols, equations, operations,
functions, calculations,
abstractions, and devising proofs.
How is mathematics
done?
 Mathematics is done with curiosity, with a
penchant for seeking patterns and
generalities, with a desire to know the truth,
with trial and error, and without fear of
facing more questions and problems to
solve. (Vistru-Yu)
 Who uses
mathematics?
 Mathematicians (pure and applied),
scientists (natural and social), and
practically, everyone uses different
mathematics at different times, for
different purposes, using different tools,
with different attitudes. (Vistru-Yu)
Why is mathematics
important to know /
learn?
Mathematics puts order in disorder.
It helps us become better persons
and helps make the world a better
place to live in. (Vistru-Yu).
Nest built by bees. It is
made by beeswax, and
is composed of cells in
the shape of hexagon,
sometimes pentagon or
heptagon.
Snowflake
A feathery snow crystal which
nucleated from dust particles
suspended in the atmosphere.
Molecules in ice crystals join
to form hexagonal structure
which is then repeated as the
crystal accumulate more
crystals and grow in size.
 Tiger stripes
The stripes on a tiger are, in
general, evenly spaced and
perpendicular to the spine.
The stripes help in
camouflage, they allow the
tiger to blend with its
environment.
Hyena’s Spots
The spots on hyenas are
shaped and distributed in
a pattern that helps also
with camouflage.
 Sunflower
A sunflower displays
many patterns, the most
prominent among them are
intersecting families of
spirals.
 Snail’s Shell
The snail’s shell has
the shape of spiral. The
radius of the shell
increases in length as
the mollusk grows
inside the shell.
 Flower’s Petals
The number of petals of a
flower are observed to
follow the following
pattern :
3, 5, 8, 13, …
Which are numbers found
in Fibonacci sequence.
 Weather Patterns
Weather is observed to repeat a
pattern for days, weeks, or months
after which a new weather sets in.
This sequence of weather patterns
produces a cycle, such as, dry
monsoon seasons, summer–
autumn–winter-spring seasons,
habagat-amihan wind patterns etc.
 Activity 1

Take a picture of a plant, a tree, a building, or

an object in your surroundings and discuss
how mathematics is embedded in your chosen
object.
 Activity 2

Write an essay discussing the following ideas:

what new ideas in mathematics have you learned
or changed your previous beliefs about
mathematics? What is most useful in mathematics
for human kind?
 Assignment

Look for Fibonacci numbers in fruits,

vegetables, flowers, or plants available in
your locality. Write a report (minimum of 5
sentences) about your obtained results.
(20 points)