Lecture Guide

Overview

Mathematics plays an important role in accelerating the social, economical, and technological growth
of a nation. The world of today which leans more and more heavily on science and technology demands more
and more mathematical knowledge on the part of its people. So, it is necessary to prepare the child with a
strong base of mathematical knowledge to face the challenges of the modern technological society.
Traditionally, Mathematics is defined as the scientific study of quantities, including their relationship,
operations and measurements expressed by numbers and symbols. The term “Mathematics” is derived from
two Greek words:
‘Manthanein’ means ‘learning’
‘Techne’ means ‘an art (or) technique’
Mathematics means the art of learning related to disciplines (or) facilities

What is Mathematics?
• The dictionary meaning of Mathematics is that,
“It is the science of number (or) space”
(OR)
“The science of measurement, quantity and magnitude”

• According to “New English Dictionary”

“Mathematics – in a strict sense – is the abstract science which investigates deductively the
conclusions implicit conception of spatial and numerical relations”.

Mathematics – in words of different authors

- Kant:
“Mathematics is the indispensable instrument of all physical resources.”
- C.F. Gauss:
“Mathematics is the queen of science and Arithmetic is the queen of all Mathematics.
- Bacon:
“Mathematics is the gateway and key to all science.”
- Benjamin Franklin:
“What science can there be nobler, more excellent, more useful for men, more admirable, high and
demonstrative than that of Mathematics?”
- Locke:
“Mathematics is a way to settle in the mind a habit of reasoning.”

Though there are innumerable definitions of Mathematics, none of them is comprehensive enough to bring out
the meaning of Mathematics full. However, each definition throws insight in to one (or) more aspects of
Mathematics.

Meaning and Definitions of Mathematics

➢ Mathematics is a systematized, organized, and exact branch of science.
➢ Mathematics deals with quantitative facts, relationships as well as with problems involving space and
form.
➢ It is a logical study of shape, arrangement, and quantity.
 ➢ Mathematics is not to be considered only as ‘number work’ (or) ‘computation’, but it is more about
forming generalizations, seeing relationships, and developing logical thinking and reasoning.
➢ Mathematics should be shown as a way of thinking, an art (or) form of beauty and as human
achievement.
➢ The National Policy on Education (1986) states,
“Mathematics should be visualized as the vehicle to train a child to think, reason, analyses and to
articulate logically.”
➢ Mathematics helps in solving problems of life that needs numeration and calculation.
➢ It provides opportunity for the intellectual gymnastic of the man’s inherent powers.
➢ It is an exact science and involves high cognitive abilities and powers.

I. MATH PATTERNS IN NATURE

Have you ever thought about how nature likes to arrange itself in patterns to act efficiently? Nothing in
nature happens without a reason, all these patterns have an important reason to exist and they also happen to
be beautiful to watch. Below are some examples of math patterns in nature.

A. Fractals
A fractal is a detailed pattern that looks similar at any scale and repeats itself over time. A fractal’s
pattern gets more complex as you observe it at larger scales. This example of a fractal shows simple
shapes multiplying over time yet maintaining the same pattern. Examples of fractals in nature are
snowflakes, trees branching, lightning, and ferns.

B. Honeycomb Pattern

In geometry, a honeycomb is a space filling or close packing of polyhedral or

higher-dimensional cells, so that there are no gaps. It is an example of the
more general mathematical tiling or tessellation in any number of dimensions.
 C. Tiger’s Stripes Pattern

Stripes are surprisingly simple to model mathematically, researchers say.

Tigers, for example, have parallel stripes, evenly spaced and perpendicular to
the spine. These natural patterns essentially emerge when
interacting substances create waves of high and low concentrations of a
pigment, chemical, or type of cell, for example.

THE FIBONACCI SEQUENCE

The Fibonacci Sequence is the series of numbers:

0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, …
It is one of the most famous formulas in Mathematics. Each number in the sequence is the sum of
the two numbers that precede it.

Let 𝐹0 = 0, 𝐹1 = 1, and
𝐹𝑛 = 𝐹𝑛−1 + 𝐹𝑛−2 , for 𝑛 > 1. That is why the sequence goes: 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, …

Fibonacci Sequence Makes a Spiral

When we make squares with those widths, we get a nice spiral:

and the spiral is found in nature.

The Golden Ratio
The golden ratio denoted by the Greek letter 𝜑 is a special number approximately equal to 1.618. It
appears many times in geometry, art, architecture, and other areas. We find the golden ratio when we divide a
line into two parts so that: the long part divided by the short part is equal to the whole length divided by the
long part.

𝑎+𝑏 𝑎
= ≡𝜑
𝑎 𝑏

CALCULATION
Two quantities 𝑎 and 𝑏 are said to be in the golden ratio 𝜑 if
𝑎+𝑏 𝑎
= =𝜑
𝑎 𝑏
One method for finding the value of 𝜑 is to start with the left fraction. That is,
𝑎+𝑏 𝑎 𝑏 𝑏
= + = 1+
𝑎 𝑎 𝑎 𝑎
𝑎
Note that 𝑏 = 𝜑. Hence,
𝑏 1 1
1+ =1+ 𝑎 =1+
𝑎 𝜑
𝑏
Therefore,
1
1+ =𝜑
𝜑
Multiplying by 𝜑 gives
𝜑 + 1 = 𝜑2
which can be rearranged to
𝜑2 − 𝜑 − 1 = 0

Recall that the above equation is a quadratic equation and two solutions are
1 ± √5
𝜑=
2

Because 𝜑 is the ratio between positive quantities, 𝜑 is necessarily positive:

1 + √5
𝜑= = 1.6180339887 …
2
 There is a special relationship between the golden ratio and the fibonacci sequence:
0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, …
Surprisingly, when we take any two successive Fibonacci numbers, their ratio is very close to the Golden
ratio. In fact, the bigger the pair of Fibonacci numbers, the closer the approximation. Let us try a few:

A B B/A
2 3 1.5
3 5 1.666666666...
5 8 1.6
8 13 1.625
... ... ...
144 233 1.618055556...
233 377 1.618025751...
... ... ...

Using the Golden Ratio to Calculate Fibonacci Numbers

And even more surprising is that we can calculate any Fibonacci numbers using the Golden
Ratio:
𝜑 𝑛 − (1 − 𝜑)𝑛
𝑥𝑛 =
√5

Example: Find x6 .
6 6
1 + √5 1 + √5
( 2 ) − (1 − 2 )
𝑥6 =
√5
17.94427191 − 0.05572809
𝑥6 =
√5
17.88854382
𝑥6 =
√5
𝑥6 = 8