Mathematics in the World
LESSON 1: PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN
NATURE
Patterns and Numbers in Nature and The
World
The goal of this lecture is to identify
patterns and numbers in nature. It will be
culminated with an appreciation towards
mathematics because we will realize that
mathematics, through patterns and
numbers, is a way to understand nature.
All throughout this lecture, we will see
equations or mathematical concepts that
may be advanced or are higher than our
current level of mathematics. They are only
presented here to provide some visual
material. There is no need to study these
equations in detail. As long as you see that
there is mathematics behind these natural
phenomena, that would be enough.
PATTERNS IN NATURE
We have 9 general classifications of natural
patterns:
 Symmetries
 Fractals
 Spirals
 Meanders
 Waves
 bubbles and foams
 tessellations
 cracks
 spots and stripes
SYMMETRIES
A symmetric pattern is present when one part of
the object retains its form or shape after some
form of transformation or change. In other words,
symmetry is present when two or more parts of an
object are "balanced" or "identical".
There are two types of symmetries in nature:
mirror symmetry (sometimes called bilateral
symmetry) and radial symmetry (sometimes called
rotational symmetry).
 mirror symmetry - a type of symmetry
wherein two sides are identical with respect
to an imaginary line (called the line of
symmetry) that divides them.
 radial symmetry - a type of symmetry
wherein more than two parts of the object
are identical with respect to a point (called
the point of symmetry) located at the
center.
FRACTALS
Fractals are patterns of self-repeating iterations
having fractal dimensions. In other words, a fractal
is a pattern wherein a larger object is being
repeated many times into smaller and smaller
copies of itself. Since the smaller copies are
branching out of the larger image, fractals are
sometimes called trees.
SPIRALS
A spiral is a pattern wherein a curve revolves
around a center focus. Spirals are one of the most
common patterns found in nature. There are spiral
galaxies, seashells, spiral-shaped plants, and even
some animals tend to display spiral patterns. As
seen in the video earlier, some spirals are closely
related to the Fibonacci sequence.
There are different types of spirals. In nature, the Tessellations are patterns on surfaces covered by
most common type of spiral is called logarithmic regularly repeating two-dimensional shapes. Each
spirals which are explained using the Fibonacci individual cell of a shape in a tessellation is called a
sequence as we have seen from the video above. tile.
This is the type of spiral seen in the configuration
Some tessellations are made of self-repeating
of sunflower seeds, spiral galaxies, seashells, and
shapes. Some are made of two or more shapes
spiraling of fern leaves.
such as the ones below.
MEANDERS
In nature, tessellations can be found in
Meanders are patterns of regular winding curves of honeycombs of honey bees, paper nests of wasps,
bends and turns. They are usually described as fish scales, and others.
"sinuous" because they resemble the graph of the
CRACKS
sine function from trigonometry.
Cracks are linear openings on surfaces that form in
Meanders are common in riverways, snake
process of relieving stress. "When an elastic
movements and other natural phenomena
material stretches or shrinks uniformly, it
described by the sine wave.
eventually reaches its breaking strength and then
WAVES fails suddenly in all directions, creating cracks with
120-degree joints, so three cracks meet at a node."
Wave patterns are described as disturbances as
energy is transferred from one place to another, SPOTS AND STRIPES
without the actual transfer of matter.
Spots and stripes are patterns found on skins of
Do not confuse meanders with waves. Generally, animals or plants and other natural forms. For
meanders occur on a stretch of a curve while animals, biologists have explained that this is a
waves occur on surfaces. For example, ocean result of some evolutionary process. These skin
waves occur on the boundary between the surfaces patterns were developed for different purposes
of the ocean and the atmosphere. such as camouflage, temperature control,
protection from parasites and predators, signaling
BUBBLES AND FOAMS
and communication, and others.
Bubbles, such as soap bubbles are spherical. Soap
Animal skin patterns are explained mathematically
bubbles are made of a mixture of soap and water
using a model called reaction-diffusion model by
enclosing some volume of air. Because of cohesive
the English mathematician Alan Turing. The model
forces, soap and water molecules tend to minimize
uses partial differential equations which is quite an
the surface area of the enclosure (hence, making
advanced-level mathematics.
the coating as thick as possible). And since a sphere
is the three-dimensional shape with the smallest
surface area with a fixed volume (see explanations
in Physics or Calculus), bubbles become spherical in
shape.
Foams are a mass of bubbles. Interestingly, when
bubbles form a foam, they still obey some
mathematical rule, specifically the Plateau's laws.
TESSELLATIONS