Mathematics in the Modern World

A Self-Instructional Package

Mathematics
in our world

Source: google.com

Lesson 1: Patterns and Numbers in

Nature
 Nature of Mathematics
 Patterns in Nature
 Numbers in Nature
Lesson 2: The Fibonacci Sequence
 Sequence
 Fibonacci Sequence
 Golden Ratio
Lesson 3: The Functionality of Mathematics
 Mathematics for Organization
 Mathematics for Prediction
 Mathematics for Control

MMW FACULTY
Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
University of Northern Philippines
Vigan City
 2

Mathematics in our World

Source: google.com
What this module is all about
In this module, you will learn a lot about mathematics as an essential tool in
understanding nature. This module will bring you on a journey that will let you
discover and appreciate the beauty of the things around you, and answer common
wonders in nature. You will also be exposed on the underlying principles that
govern the universe which will make you realize how important mathematics is in
our daily life activities.

This module will provide you with activities that will require you to look at
patterns and regularities in the world, and reflect on how mathematics comes into
play both in nature and in our daily life activities.

There are additional activities in the form of video clips for you to watch and
reflect on. Some activities will require you to measure and compute in which case
you need to have a tape measure or a ruler, and a calculator. Other activities will
require you to use your knowledge and skills in Excel for you to successfully carry
out the tasks.

Smile, relax and enjoy reading this module.

Source: google.com

What are contained in this module

The following topics are contained in this module:

Lesson 1: Patterns and Numbers in Nature

 Nature of Mathematics
 Patterns in Nature
 Numbers in Nature
Lesson 2: The Fibonacci Sequence
 Sequence
 Fibonacci Sequence
 Golden Ratio
Lesson 3: Functionality of Mathematics
 Mathematics for Organization
 Mathematics for Prediction
 Mathematics for Control
 3

What you are expected to learn

After a thorough understanding of all the topics and

activities presented in this module, you are expected to:

 Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world

 Articulate the importance of mathematics in one’s life
 Argue about the following:
 nature of mathematics,
 what mathematics is,
 how mathematics is expressed, represented, and used
 Express appreciation for mathematics as a human endeavor

How you are going to learn

This is the icon that you will find before the chunks of test in the
following pages. It tells you to study carefully the concepts, principles,
processes, etc. in the text. It tells, you too, that thereis a question to
answer or an idea to think about.

This icon signals a checkpoint. To every checkpoint, you will find a

question or questions to answer.

This icon introduces a list of important ideas to remember. Read it

carefully and store in your memory.

At the end of the lesson or module, you will find this icon. It signals a
self-test to determine how well you have achieved the objectives of the
module. Study the module carefuly and you will perform quite well in
the self-tests.

This icon tells you of a summative test to perform. The qualityof your
output from this assessment will show the extent to wchih you can apply
what you have learned from this module.
 4

Lesson 1: PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN NATURE

In this lesson, I will present the nature of mathematics. I will also reveal
hidden beautiful patterns found in nature and introduce the famous mathematical
number sequence that is related to nature.
Source: google.com

Nature of Mathematics

What is mathematics?

The word mathematics comes from the Greek word “máthēma” (noun) which
means "learning”. Mathematics has no universally accepted definition (Tobies,
2012). According to Webster’s dictionary, “Mathematics is the science of number
and their operations, interrelations, combinations, generalizations and abstractions
and of space configurations and generalizations.
Here are some definitions of mathematics from famous mathematicians:
 Mathematics is the science of quantity. – Aristotle
 Mathematics is the language in which god has written in the universe. -
Galileo
 The science of indirect measurement. - Auguste Comte
 Mathematics is the classification and study of all possible patterns. - Walter
Warwick Sawyer
 Mathematics is our one and only strategy for understanding the complexity of
nature. – Ralph Abraham
 Mathematics is a formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying, and
exploiting patterns and relationships. - Stewart

It can be seen that the definition of mathematics changes according to specific lights.
Thus, mathematics maybe defined as the study of patterns which may be numerical,
logical or geometric. Mathematics as the study of patterns will be the focus of the
lesson.

In your own
perspective, what is
mathematics?

Source: google.com
 5

PATTERNS IN NATURE

Mathematics shapes the world around us! One of the things about Mathematics
that we love the most is it’s uncanny ability to reveal hidden beautiful patterns in our
everyday life, the nature around us.

What number comes next in

0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, ?
What is the pattern in getting the next number?

Yes you’re correct! The

next number after 25 is
30. The pattern in
getting the next number
is to add 5 to the
previous number.

A pattern is an organized arrangement of objects in space or time. It must have

something that is repeated either exactly or according to recognizable
transformations. It is the opposite of chaos.

Natural patterns include symmetry, stripe, spot, crack, spiral, tessellation, foam,
wave, dunes and fractal.
Symmetry is when a shape looks identical to its original shape after being
flipped or turned. The two main types of symmetry are reflective and rotational.
Reflective, or line, symmetry means that one half of an image is the mirror image of
the other half (think of a butterfly's wings). Rotational symmetry means that the
object or image can be turned around a center point and match itself some number of
times (as in a five-pointed star).
Crack are linear openings that form in materials to relieve stress. The pattern of
cracks indicates whether the material is elastic or not. Some examples are old pottery
surface, drying inelastic mud, and palm trunk with branching vertical cracks.
Tesselation or tiling forms a class of patterns found in nature. The arrays of
hexagonal cells in a honeycomb or the diamond-shaped scales that pattern snake skin
are natural examples of tessellation patterns.
Fractal pattern is when an object exhibits self-similar shape or form at any scale
and repeat itself overtime. Trees are natural fractals, patterns that repeat smaller and
smaller copies of themselves to create the biodiversity of a forest.
 6

Here are some examples of patterns in nature.

The tiger face shows a bilateral symmetry Phyllotaxis of spiral aloe

Honeycomb is a natural tessellation Stripes of a zebra

Branching pattern of a tree is a fractal Palm trunk with branching vertical cracks
 7

Foam of soap bubbles Spots of a Leopard

Breaking wave in a ship's wake Patterns form as wind blows sand in the
dunes
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patterns_in_nature

Now look around you, what objects

do you see? Does it have any pattern?
Can you identify the patterns?
 8

NUMBERS IN NATURE

The natural world is full of sets of numbers. The Fibonacci sequence (0, 1, 1,
2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 and so on), that is, it follows a trivial logic in which the sum
of the later two numbers gives rise to the next number in the sequence. It is a simple
pattern, but it appears to be a kind of built-in numbering system to the universe.
An interesting fact is that the number of petals on a flower always turns out to
be a fibonacci number.

Another example is if you look at the bottom of pine cone, and count
clockwise and anti-clockwise number of spirals, they turn out to be adjacent
fibonacci numbers.

https://medium.com/math-%CF%80rates/beauty-of-numbers-and-patterns-a-world-
shaped-by-math-71d240c4ee05
 9

The head of a flower is also subject to Fibonaccian processes. Typically,

seeds are produced at the center, and then migrate towards the outside to fill all the
space.

https://io9.gizmodo.com/15-uncanny-examples-of-the-golden-ratio-in-nature-
5985588
The unique properties of the Golden Rectangle provides another example.
This shape, a rectangle in which the ratio of the sides a/b is equal to the golden mean
(phi), can result in a nesting process that can be repeated into infinity — and which
takes on the form of a spiral. It's call the logarithmic spiral, and it abounds in nature.
Snail shells and nautilus shells follow the logarithmic spiral, as does the
cochlea of the inner ear. It can also be seen in the horns of certain goats, and the
shape of certain spider's webs.
 10

It’s great having learned the numbers

found in nature. Did you appreciate the
wonders of numbers in nature? I hope
so! You will have more of these in Lesson
2. Now , relax have some sort of
stretching before proceeding with the
self-test.

Self-Test 1

1. Watch the following video clips on the links provided and fill-up the Video
Response Sheet.
Video clip 1: Nature by Numbers by Cristobal Vila
https://youtu.be/kkGeOWYOFoA
Video Clip 2: Natures Mathematics Part 1 https://youtu.be/VE_RU0fNjt0
Video Clip 3: Natures mathematics Part 2 https://youtu.be/n2WHNMfRmHE

Video Response Sheet

(Write the resource title in the centre oval. Make notes as you watch and/or listen to
the program. “Links” is for text-to-text, text-to-self, or text-to-world connections.)

Source: Teaching Tip Tuesdays – http://chasemarch.com

 11

Activity 2. Explore your surroundings, then take a picture of at least 5 things that
you see which shows patterns and identify what are these patterns.

Congratulations for
finishing Lesson 1. Did
you enjoy viewing
patterns in nature? You
can now proceed to
Lesson 2.

Source: google.com
 12

References:

Knott, Ron. "Fibonacci Numbers in Nature." Ron Knott's Web Pages on

Mathematics. March 28, 2008. Retrieved from
http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.

Fibonacci Numbers in Nature." World Mysteries. (June 14, 2008) Retrieved from.
http://www.world-mysteries.com/sci_17.htm

https://fibonacci.com/music/

https://www.theclassroom.com/inventions-of-the-phoenicians-12082792.html

https://math.temple.edu/~reich/Fib/fibo.html