#MathematicsInModernWorld – Prelim

WHAT IS MATHEMATICS?

 It is often defined as “a formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying and exploiting
patterns.”
 It is also described as “the science that deals with logic of shape, quantity and arrangement
(Hom, 2013).”
 It is also considered as an art, having as aesthetic and creative side.

There is no denying that mathematics expresses itself everywhere, in almost every facet of life. For
instance, counting is part of the mathematics. Counting various quantities is one of the activities that
people engage in beginning at young age. The purpose of counting is to assign a numeric value to a
group of objects.

Four fundamental operations:

- Addition
- Subtraction
- Multiplication
- Division

MATHEMATICS AS A STUDY OF PATTERNS

“We live in a universe of patterns” – Stewart , 1995

If we contract a set of elements or numbers in which all these elements or numbers are related to each
other in a specific rule, then the rule or manner is called pattern. Pattern connoted order, regularity,
lawful. Studying pattern is an opportunity to observe, hypnotize experiment, discover, and create.

Examples of the different patterns:

 Logical Pattern – commonly used patterns include classification, partition, chronology,

cause/effect, problem/solution, if/then, and evaluation.
 Geometric Pattern – is a motif or design depicting abstract, nonrepresentational shapes such a
lines, circles, ellipse, triangles, rectangles, and polygons.
 Number Pattern – defined as an arrangement of number in such a way that it follows a
particular property or pattern.
 Word Pattern – it is not about how to communicate in mathematics; rather, it is about patterns
in form and in syntax, which lead directly to learning about language in general and about
machine communication in particular (Annenberg Foundation, 2017).

MATHEMATICS IN NATURE
The visible world is full of patterns that can be described mathematically. Such readily observable
phenomena suggest that the beauty of nature is revealed by mathematics and the beauty of
mathematics is revealed in nature (Adam, 2011).

Example:

The sequence 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21 called Fibonacci sequence can be found in many natural patterns like in
pineapples, sunflowers, nautilus, and pine cones

MATHEMATICS IN REAL APPLICATIONS

Mathematics is used as an essential tool in many fields, including the natural sciences, engineering,
medicine, finance and the social sciences.