Chapter 1

Mathematics in Our World

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the chapter, the students shall be able to:

1. identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world
2. solve problems involving sequences
3. illustrate how mathematics in nature is used in inventions
4. articulate the importance of mathematics in one’s life

Mathematics is an old, broad, and deep discipline (field of study). People working to
improve math education need to understand "What is Mathematics?"

We define mathematics as a way of thinking about nature and the world in general.
It is a system of knowing or understanding our surroundings. It provides glimpses into the
nature of mathematics and how it is used to understand our world. This understanding, in
conjunction with other disciplines, contributes to a more complete portrait of the world. Its
central purpose is to explore those facets of mathematics that will strengthen your
quantitative understandings of our environs. Thus, patterns and numbers that are useful in
the world like Fibonacci sequence and other arrays of number will be discussed and
understand how they were used to predict and control the behavior of nature and the
phenomena in this world. In the future, we think about numerous applications of mathematics
as tools in decision-making.

Several uses of Mathematics in different fields are to calculate the results of different
activities, predict the behavior of a variable when the other variables are known, identify well
the requirements of a particular dosage of medicine to cure a certain illness, and to verify
whether a particular solution is applicable to the problem set. The chronology of events in
the past can identify patterns of situation.

1.1 Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

Patterns are things that are repetitive, which can be found in nature as color, shape,
action, or some other sequence that are almost everywhere.

Mathematics is the science of patterns and relationships, and nature exploits just
about every pattern that there is. As a theoretical discipline, mathematics explores the
possible relationships among abstractions without concern for whether those abstractions
have counterparts in the real world. Mathematics uncovers these patterns and the rules
governing it.

The simplest mathematical objects are numbers and the simplest of nature's patterns
are numerical. These can be observed in the things and the events in our surrounding as
shown in the following examples.

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 ➢ We live in the universe of patterns.

➢ Nature abounds in spectral colors and intricate shapes.

These miraculous creations not only delight the imagination; they also challenge our
understanding.

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Types of Patterns

1. Fractals. It is a never-ending pattern that are self-similar across different scales, i.e., the
image reappears over and over again no matter how many times the object is
magnified. It is an infinite iteration of itself. Some examples are shown in the pictures.

2. Spirals. It is curved patterns made by series of circular shapes revolving around a central
point. They are patterns that occur in plants and natural systems and has been the
inspiration for architectural forms and ancient symbols. They were studied by
mathematicians including Leonardo Fibonacci, who tried to understand order in
nature. Below are some examples.

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3. Chaos. Chaos is a simple pattern created from complicated underlying behavior. A
chaotic pattern is used to describe a kind of order which lacks predictability. It is a
kind of apparent randomness whose origins are entirely deterministic as depicted in
the pictures below.

4. Tessellations. These are patterns formed by repeating tiles all over a flat surface. Some
examples are shown below.

Dragonfly Eye

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5. Symmetry. It is an exact correspondence of form on opposite sides of a dividing line or
plane or about a center or an axis. It has sense of harmonious and beautiful balance and
proportion and remains unchanged after transformations, such as rotations and scaling.

Two Common Types of Symmetry

i. Reflection Symmetry - It is also known as mirror symmetry or line symmetry or

bilateral symmetry. Exactly the same image is formed when divided in half.

ii. Rotational Symmetry - It is also known as radial symmetry in biology. It is exhibited

by objects when their similar parts are regularly arranged around a central axis
and the pattern looks the same after a certain amount of rotation. This includes
three-fold, four-fold to n-fold symmetry. The following are examples of objects in
nature exhibiting rotational symmetry. Notice that the two pictures on right have
three-folds and six-fold symmetrical patterns.

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Shapes in Nature

Mathematical shapes can always be reduced to numbers, which is how computers

handle graphics. Each tiny dot in the picture is stored and manipulated as a pair of numbers:
how far the dot is along the screen from right to left, and how far up it is from the bottom,
(coordinates of the dot). A general shape is a collection of dots, and can be represented as
a list of pairs of numbers. Simple shapes in nature are triangles, squares, pentagons,
hexagons, circles, ellipses, spirals, cubes, spheres, cones, and so on.

➢ the rainbow is a collection of circles, one

for each color

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 ➢ circles also form in the ripples on
a pond, in the human eye, on
butterflies' wings, etc.

Crystals - composed of solid materials

having a compositions enclosed and
arranged in symmetrical plane surfaces,
intersecting at definite angles.

➢ Rock Formations - rocks are of irregular and various shapes.

➢ Animal Kingdom - various patterns and shapes in animal skin

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 What is a Mathematical pattern?

Mathematics is a tool of science to described patterns in nature. In our environment

that we observed like the different colors of buildings and vehicles are form a pattern. The
repetition of design in a butterfly’s wings forms a pattern. In your eyes that you can see in
the surroundings, what pattern of the design that you can see? Everything contains a pattern.
The shell of the Snell’s has their own pattern.

Patterns are things that are repetitive, which can be found in nature as color, shape,
action, or some other sequences that are almost everywhere. Mathematics expresses
patterns. These are sequences that repeated, following a rule or rules. A rule is a way to
calculate or solve a problem.

A pattern is anything that is repetitive and follows a rule.

Examples of mathematical patterns include the following:

1. Symmetry. Observe a staircase or a brick wall; you’ll notice that a pattern

repeats again and again. There are also patterns on floor tiling, wallpaper, or
decorative vases. These patterns repeat themselves and see all examples of
symmetries.

2. Number Patterns and Sequences. Consider the figure below.

You will notice that the figure has an increasing number of rectangles from left to
right. It suggests that a certain pattern occurs, that is, the number of rectangles is being
doubled, from 1 to 2, and from 2 to 4. Hence, the rectangles can be expressed into a
sequence as 1, 2, 4, 8. The pattern suggests that the next term of the sequence is 8, which
means 8 rectangles.

Even the well-known Pascal’s Triangle shows number patterns. As you build the
layers of the triangle, you will notice an interesting pattern. The inside number in each row
can be found by adding the two numbers above it. Thus, the middle number of the third line
of the Pascal’s Triangle is 1 + 1 = 2.

1
1 1
11 2
1 3 3 1
1 4 6 4 1
1 5 10 10 5 1

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For further understanding of mathematical patterns, consider the suggested example the
pattern and find out the product of the 5th equation.

12345679 x 9 x 1 = 111111111
12345679 x 9 x 2 = 222222222
12345679 x 9 x 3 = 333333333
12345679 x 9 x 4 = 444444444
12345679 x 9 x 5 = _____________

Exercise 1-A

A. Directions: Look for the pattern and write the missing number.

1. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ______ , _______, _______

2. 10, 6, 24, 20, 80, ______, ______, _______, _______

3. 1, 3, 6, 8, 16, 18, 36, ______, ______, ______

4. 18, 14, 10, 6, ______, ______, ______

5. 1/3, ¼, 1/6, _______, ______, ______

B. Directions. Find the missing numbers or shapes in each of the following patterns.

1 1 2. 11 = 11
.
2 4 11x11 = 121
3 6 9 11x11x11 = 1331
4 __ __ 16 11x11x11x11 =
5 __ 15 __ 25 =
6 __ __ 24 __ ___
C.

3.

4.

5.

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1.2 Fibonacci Sequence

Fibonacci Numbers are the series of numbers that often occur in nature. The number
sequence was developed in the Middle Ages, and it was named after Leonardo Pisano
Bigollo, a famous Italian mathematician who also happened to discover Fibonacci. This
Fibonacci is a short term for the Latin filius bonascci, which means “the son of Bonacci”.

In 1202, Leonardo Pisano Bigollo published his most prominent work the Liber Abaci
(The Book of Calculating). He introduced his famous rabbit problem.

If a pair of rabbits is put into a walled enclosure (room) to breed, how many pairs of
rabbits will there be after a year if it is assumed that every month each pair produces one
new pair, which begins to bear young two months after its own birth?

Construction of Table 1.1 will be helpful to find the number of pairs of rabbits there
will be after a year. First, represent the adult pair of rabbits as A, and the baby pair of rabbits
as B. For the fourth month, replace A by AB and B by A.

Table 1.1 Breeding of Rabbits

Number of No. of No. of No. of

Months Pair A’s B’s pairs
1st month A 1 0 1
2nd month AB 1 1 2
3rd month ABA 2 1 3
4th month ABAAB 3 2 5
5th month ABAABABA 5 3 8
6th month ABAABABAABAAB 8 5 13
7th month ABAABABAABAABABA 13 8 21
8th month ABAABABAABAABABAABAAB 21 13 34
9th month ABAABABAABAABABAABAABABAABAAB 34 21 55
10th month 55 34 89

11th month --- --- ---

12th month __ __ __

Can you see the pattern? The number of A’s in 8th month is the sum of the number
of A’s in the 7th month and the number of B’s that became A’s. And the number of B’s in the
8th month is the same as the number of A’s in the 7th month. Therefore, the number od A’s
in the 9th month will be the sum of the number of A’s in the 8th month, which is the number of
B’s that will be changed to A, (21+13=34). The number of B’s is the same as the number of
A’s in 8th month, which is 21.

Referring to table 1.1, it reveals that each entry in the columns of numbers may be
found through a pattern. It means that the set of numbers in each column of the table forms
a sequence, known as “Fibonacci Sequence”.

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 Many applications and occurrence of Fibonacci numbers can be observed
everywhere in the world around us. Many plants and animals shows the Fibonacci numbers
in the arrangement of the leaves around the stem, the number of petals on a flower tend to
be a Fibonacci number like sunflowers. A sun flower can contain the number 89, or even
144. Palm trees, on the other hand, show the numbers in the rings on their trunks. Hus,
Fibonacci numbers are associated with the growth of every living thing, including a single
cell, a grain of wheat, a hive of bees, and even all of mankind.

What is a Fibonacci sequence?

The sequence begins with zero or one. Each subsequent number is the sum of the
two preceding numbers.

In particular,

2 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+1)

3 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+2);
5 is found by adding the two numbers before it (2+3);
and 8 is from (3+5), and so on…

Example: The next number in the sequence above is 34 + 55 = 89

A sequence (noun) is an ordered set of numbers, shapes, or any other mathematical

objects arranged into a rule.

Consider all the Fibonacci sequences, and number each term from 0 onward.

Table 1.2

n 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 …
F(n) 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 …
So the term number 6 is called F6 (which equals 8).

Example: If we want to find the 8th term, that is 7th term plus the 6th term:

F8 = F7 + F6

Means F8 = F8-7 + F8-2

So, F8 = 13 + 8

Therefore, F8 = 21

A Recurrence Relation makes the rule of Fibonacci sequence that the next number is
the sum of the two previous numbers. Mathematically, this is written into a functional notation
that is

Fn = Fn-1 + Fn-2 using f0 = 0 and f1 = 1.

where Fn - is term number n
Fn-1 – is the previous term ( n – 1 )
Fn-2 - is the term before that ( n – 2 )

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Example: Calculate the value of F9.

Solution: F9 = F8 + F7
= 21 + 13
F9 = 34

In Fibonacci sequence the interesting thing to be considered is that it shows multiples

of a number. Look at the table below.

Table 1.3 Fibonacci Sequence

n 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 …

Fn 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 …

X3 = 2. Every 3rd number is a multiple of 2(2,8,34,144,610,…)

X4 = 3, every 4th number is a multiple of 3 ( 3, 21, 144, …)

X5 = 5, so every 5th number is a multiple of 5 ( 5, 55, 610, …)

X6 = 8, and every 6th number is a multiple of 8.

In conclusion, every nth number is a multiple of xn.

Fibonacci Spiral

Fibonacci spiral is the application of geometric design in using Fibonacci numbers in

our nature. The following instructions may be followed to construct the spiral.
Drawing the Fibonacci Spiral

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 The well-known sunflowers have a Golden Spiral seed arrangement. This provides a
biological advantage because it maximizes the number of seeds that can be packed into a
seed head.

Similarly, we can see a double set of spirals in the pinecones or pineapples- one going
in a clockwise direction and one in the opposite direction. When these spirals are counted,
the two sets are found to be adjacent Fibonacci numbers.

Exercise 1-B

A. Directions: True or False: Write T if the statement or equation is TRUE. Otherwise,

write F.

_______ 1. 19 is a prime number; thus F19 is a prime number.

_______ 2. F19 = 144, the index number is equal to its digit sum.
_______ 3. Every 3rd Fibonacci is a multiple of 2.
_______ 4. The digit sum of 89 is 17; therefore, F17 = 89
_______ 5. F6 = 8 is the first Fibonacci number with 2 as a factor.
_______ 6. 7 is a factor of F8 .
_______ 7. F3 and F4 are prime factors of F12.
_______ 8. Every 4th Fibonacci number is a multiple of 3.
_______ 9. Every 4th Fibonacci number is an odd number.
_______ 10. F12 = 144, the index number 12 is a factor of 144; therefore 15
is a factor of F15 .

B. Directions: Solve the following problems completely.

1. Fill in the blanks for the next 6 Fibonacci numbers.

1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144,233,377,

___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___,

2. Calculate the following:

a. F23

b. F16

c. F11

3. If F9 =34 and F10 = 55, what is the eleventh Fibonacci?

4. If F17 = 2584 and F16 = 1597, then find F15.

5. Find the index numbers n where Fn is even. Write down the pattern.

C. Find instances where one Fibonacci number is a factor (divisor) of another

Fibonacci number. What is the relationship between their two indices?

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 The Golden Ratio

Observe the results if we take any two successive (one after the other) Fibonacci
numbers, as shown below.

a b b/a
2 3 1.5
3 5 1.6666…
5 8 1.6

8 13 1.625

Their ratio is very close to the Golden Ratio “φ”, which is approximately 1.618034….
Golden Ratio is an irrational number and is typically represented by the Greek letter Phi “φ”.

Golden Ratio is a special number also known as the Golden Section, Golden Mean,
Divine Proportion, or Greek letter Phi, which exists when a line is divided into two parts, and
the longer part (a) divided by the smaller part (b) is equal to the sum of (a) + (b) divided by
(a), which both equal 1.618.

If point M divides line AB into two pieces, one of length a and the other of length b
where a is larger than b, the total length is a + b. (See figure below.)

a+b

a b

Figure 1.8

Observe that the ratio of the longest part to the shorter part is the same as the ratio of
the whole line AB to the longer part. In other words, as the longer part is to be shorter part,
so is the whole line to the longer part. In equation: a:b = (a+b) : a then the special ratio
between the two numbers is called the Golden Ratio.

It means, a/b is Golden Ratio if the following equation holds true:

a/b = (a + b)/ a

Using the Golden Ratio, we can calculate any Fibonacci number. In Table 1.4, the
notation φn/ fn ≈ 2.236… = √5.

Table 1.4 Calculation of Fibonacci Numbers

N 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ….

Φn/fn 0 1.618 2.618 2.118 2.285 2.218 2.243 2.236 ….

However, the following theorem gives the exact formula for computing the nth term of
the Fibonacci sequence.

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Theorem: The nth term, fn of the Fibonacci sequence is given by:

1 (1+√5)𝑛 −(1−√5)𝑛
𝑓𝑛 = [ ]
√5 2𝑛

Golden Ratio Around Us

The golden ratio, a simple and insignificant number as we might think it is, has intrigued and
fascinated mathematicians and even thinkers in other disciplines. While it is unknown when exactly
this number was discovered, it could be seen in history that this was actually used by Greeks in
designing and constructing the renowned Parthenon (see bottom left photo). Da Vinci’s famous
artwork, Mona Liza (bottom, 2nd from left photo) also followed this ratio. Amazingly, many things

that are pleasing to the eyes actually follow the golden ratio. (Consider the face in the photo below).

A lot of investigations have been done on this mysterious number as it occurs in almost
everything around us: from the seeds of a sunflower, flower petals, DNA, snail shells,
buildings, to our very own bodies!

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Exercise 1-C

1. Compute the ratios of consecutive Fibonacci numbers, starting with F2/F1 , F3/F2 ,

And continuing until you reach F13 / F12 . Where does this sequence of ratios seem
to be heading?

2. It has been claimed that Fibonacci numbers are nature’s numbers. Investigate this
claim in the following situation: Examine 3 pineapples. Pineapples have three sets
of spirals, as shown in the Figure below. Count the number of spirals in each
direction. What can you conclude?

3. Compute for the ratio of the following and discuss how it compares to the golden
ratio:

a. length and width of your face

b. distance between the lips and where the eyebrows meet to the length of the
nose

c. length of the mouth to the width of the nose

d. distance between the navel and knee to the distance between the knee and
the end of the foot.

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1.3 Patterns and regularities in the world

Patterns that we observe in nature are the regularities of form in our natural world.
These patterns may recur in different circumstances and sometimes can be mathematically
modeled. These are illustrated in the following examples. recur

waves radiating from an

underwater earthquake.

waves surging towards a

beach in parallel ranks waves spreading in a V-shape
behind a moving boat

- waves swirling spiral whirlpools and tiny

vortices.
- apparent structureless, random frothing of
turbulent flow of waves

The flow of fluids provides an inexhaustible supply of nature's patterns.

Similar patterns can be found in the atmosphere including the vast spiral of hurricane
as seen by orbiting astronaut.

Noctilucent Clouds

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Wave patterns on land includes the strikingly mathematical landscapes on Earth in the
great ergs or sand oceans of the Arabian and Sahara deserts
The simplest pattern is of transverse dunes (upper leftmost photo below) which, like ocean
waves, line up in parallel straight rows at right angles to the prevailing wind direction which
are called barchanoid ridges when the rows are wavy. Sometimes they break up into
innumerable shield-shaped barchan dunes. On the other hand, a slightly moist sand with a
little vegetation to bind it together forms parabolic dunes, shaped like a U, with the rounded
end pointing in the direction of the wind which when in clusters, resembles the teeth of a
rake. If the wind direction is variable, clusters of star-shaped dunes form with several
irregular arms radiating from a central peak, arranged in a random pattern of spots.

Nature's love of stripes, spots and other patterns extend in the animal and plant kingdoms
Spots, stripes and several other patterns in plants and animals are almost always
present in our surroundings. Few examples are shown in the following photos.

‣ stripes and spots in plants and animals

viruses assume regular geometric shapes, like

icosahedron-a regualr solid formes from twenty
equilateral triangles

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 ‣ many animals are bilaterally symmetric

‣ Pinecones, sunflowers, and daisies (among other flora) have spiral patterns
associated with the well-known Fibonacci sequence.

In addition to patterns of form, there are also patterns of movement.

In human, the feet strike the ground in a regular rhythm. When a four-legged creature,
like horse walks, there is more complex but equally rhythmic pattern. The prevalence of
pattern in locomotion extends to the scuttling of insects, the flight of birds, the pulsation of
jellyfish, and the wavelike movements of fish, worms, and snakes. The sidewinder, a desert
snake, moves like a single coil of a helical spring, thrusting its body forward in a series of S-
shaped curves in an attempt to minimize its contact with the hot sand. Tiny bacteria propel
themselves along using microscopic helical tails which rotates rigidly like a ship's screw.

Each of nature's patterns is a puzzle, nearly always a deep one. Mathematics is brilliant
at helping us to solve puzzles. It is a more or less systematic way of digging out the rules
and structures that lie behind some observed pattern or regularity, and then using those rules
and structures to explain what's going on. Indeed, mathematics has developed alongside
our understanding of nature, each reinforcing the other.

1.4 Use of mathematics to control nature and occurrences in the world for
human benefits
Mathematics is useful in everyday life, because everyone needs mathematics in
doing something, like the baker or cook, which uses mathematics to measure the quantity
of ingredients; a dressmaker uses mathematics to measures the figure and length of cloths;
a farmer can use mathematics to plan how and when to sow seeds or count the number of
plants; an artist can use mathematics to paint, design collages, dance, and also to measures
the size of the canvas, size of the stage, space required to for an art; a motorist uses
mathematics to estimate the distance travel where the equivalent proportion of fuel expense

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of the vehicle should be estimated and the distance of the destination should be accounted
for, and finally, everything in the world requires numbers in nature.

Mathematics can make our life orderly and systematic, and it prevent chaos. It guides
us to see patterns to generalize a solution to a problem. Mathematics is also used to express,
solve, and interpret the puzzles observed in nature. It can expound our power of reasoning,
creativity, abstract or spatial thinking, problem-solving ability, and even effective
communication skills.

Just as any invention of man, mathematics is a product of necessity. Its invention,

with all its branches starting from the simplest to the most complex, has a long story of
continuously catering human needs and problems. It was never a human endeavor intended
to complicate things, but rather, to make complicated phenomena within human
understanding and, if possible, control for the benefit of humanity.

Organize the underlying patterns and regularities in the most satisfying way.
Nature's patterns are not just there to be admired, they are vital clues that govern natural
processes.
‣ Four hundred years ago, German astronomer, Johannes Kepler, argued that
snowflakes must be made by packing tiny identical units together based on the
sixfold symmetry of snowflakes, which is natural consequence of regular packing.
(That is, if you place a large number of identical coins on a table and try to pack
them as closely as possible, the arrangement would be that of a honeycomb in
which every coin, except those at the edges, is surrounded by six others, arranged
in a perfect hexagon.)
‣ By performing a mathematical analysis of astronomical observations made by the
contemporary Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, Kepler was eventually driven to
the conclusion that planets move in ellipses.
‣ The regular nightly motion of stars is a clue that Earth rotates
‣ Waves and dunes are clues to the rules that govern the flow of water, sand, and
air
‣ The tiger's stripes and hyena's spots attest to mathematical regularities in
biological growth and form,
‣ Rainbows tell us about the scattering of light, and indirectly confirm that raindrops
are spheres.
‣ Lunar haloes are clues to the shape of the ice crystals.
Patterns possess utility as well as beauty. Once we have learned to recognize a
background pattern, exceptions suddenly stand out. The following are some illustrations:
‣ The desert stands still, but the lion moves.
‣ Against the circling background of stars, a small number of stars that move quite
differently beg to be singled out for special attention. The Greeks called them
planetes, meaning "wanderer," a term retained in our word "planet." (It took a lot
longer to understand the patterns of planetary motion than it did to work out why
stars seem to move in nightly circles. One difficulty is that we are inside the Solar
System, moving along with it, and things that look simple from outside often look
much more complicated from inside.)
‣ The planets were clues to the rules behind gravity and motion.

Predict. One powerful use of mathematics is in the aspect of predicting phenomena.

With these, we are able to prepare and limit the negative impact of these phenomenon to
humanity. With a well-anticipated and beneficial phenomenon that rarely happens, its
prediction makes us not miss its happening. Here are just some instances that uses
mathematics for prediction.

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 ‣ Understanding the motion of heavenly bodies, astronomers could predict lunar
and solar eclipses and the return of comets. They knew where to point their
telescopes to find asteroids that had passed behind the Sun, out of observational
contact.
‣ Because the tides are controlled mainly by the position of the Sun and Moon
relative to the Earth, they could predict tides many years ahead. (The chief
complicating factor in making such predictions is not astronomy: it is the shape
of the continents and the profile of the ocean depths, which can delay or
advance a high tide. However, these stay pretty much the same from one
century to the next, so that once their effects have been understood it is a
routine task to compensate for them.)
‣ It is much harder to predict the weather. We know just as much about the
mathematics of weather as we do about the mathematics of tides, but weather
has an inherent unpredictability. Despite this, meteorologists can make effective
short-term predictions of weather patterns— say, three or four days in advance.

Control. Many human undertakings and events happen in controlled environment or

within controlled processes. Standards are set in order for a process to attain the desired
results. It may not be visible to us but most electronic inventions of man that we use from the
kitchen, to the streets and even to the outer space operate under controlled conditions.
These control mechanisms are possible because of mathematics. Examples of control
systems range from the thermostat on a boiler, which keeps it at a fixed temperature, to the
medieval practice of coppicing woodland. Without a sophisticated mathematical control
system, the space shuttle would fly like the brick, for no human pilot can respond quickly
enough to correct its inherent instabilities. The use of electronic pacemakers to help people
with heart disease is another example of control.

1.5 Applications of math as a tool thus making math indispensable

Our world rests on mathematical foundations, and mathematics is unavoidably

embedded in our global culture. The only reason we don't always realize just how strongly
our lives are affected by mathematics is that, for sensible reasons, it is kept as far as possible
behind the scenes.

When you go to the travel agent and book a vacation, you don't need to understand
the intricate mathematical and physical theories that make it possible to design computers
and telephone lines, the optimization routines that schedule as many flights as possible
around any particular airport, or the signal-processing methods used to provide accurate
radar images for the pilots.

When you watch a television program, you don't need to understand the three-
dimensional geometry used to produce special effects on the screen, the coding methods
used to transmit TV signals by satellite, the mathematical methods used to solve the
equations for the orbital motion of the satellite, the thousands of different applications of
mathematics during every step of the manufacture of every component of the spacecraft that
launched the satellite into position.

When a farmer plants a new strain of potatoes, he does not need to know the
statistical theories of genetics that identified which genes made that particular type of plant
resistant to disease.

Understanding the nature's secret regularities has many uses in our physical
environment. The following are some instances that use such.

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 ‣ steer artificial satellites to new destinations with far less fuel than anybody had
thought possible,
‣ help avoid wear on the wheels of locomotives and other rolling stock,
‣ improve the effectiveness of heart pacemakers
‣ manage forests and fisheries,
‣ make efficient dishwashers, and most importantly
‣ give a deeper vision of the universe in which we live and of our own place in it.

In addition, using mathematics to understand the structure of some plants and animals and
how they behave empowered us to develop useful mechanism that help us perform jobs
efficiently. Few examples are:
‣ Helicopter is designed from studying the built and movement of a dragonfly
‣ Climbing pads capable of supporting human weight are a mimic of the
biomechanics of gecko feet.
‣ The aerodynamics of the famous Japanese Bullet train was inspired by the shape
of a bird’s beak.
‣ The first flying machine heavier than the air from the Wright brothers, in 1903, was
inspired by flying pigeons.
‣ Architecture is inspired by termite mounds to design passive cooling structures.
‣ Velcro is born from the observation of the hooks implemented by some plants for
the propagation of their seeds via animal’s coat.
‣ The study of shark skin is at the origin of particularly effective swimming suits, as
well as a varnish for planes fuselage

In sum, mathematics definitely is a way to think about nature as it helps to understand

how things happen, to understand why things happen, to organize the underlying patterns
and regularities in the most satisfying way, to predict how nature will behave, and to control
nature for our own ends, and to make practical use of what we have learned about our world

Chapter Exercise:

Write (in 200 to 300 words) a synthesis focusing on the importance and utility of
mathematics in our lives.

REFERENCES

Tolentino, A., et. al. (2018). Mathematics in the Modern World. Mutya Publishing House,
Manila

Stewart, I. (1995). Nature’s Numbers. USA: BasicBooks

Adam, J. (2003). Mathematics in Nature: Modelling Patterns in the Natural World. New
Jersey: Princeton University Press

Adam, J. (2009). Mathematical Nature Walk. New Jersey: Princeton University Press

Akiyama and Ruiz (2008). A Day’s Adventure in Math Wonderland. Singapore: World
Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

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