FA-2 MATHS ASSIGNMENT

MATHS IN NATURE
Group-3 (Roll no. 21-31)

ABHILASH KUMAR DINESH

AJAY KRISHNAN DUSHYANTH SRINIVASAN
AKSHAY HARI PRAKASH
ANSLEY JOHN ISHAAN KOHLI
DEEPAN AKASH KANISHQ AMOGH

1
ABSTRACT

This project is submitted by the I-group of boys. Each of have kept our full concern toward this
project to make this the best. What we have done describes aspects of mathematics found in
nature. Mathematics is found everywhere in nature. We have described an overall 9 subjects in
mathematics. The topics are arranged from basic to complicate. We enclose the table of contents
here for easier reference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Numerical
2. Shapes
3. Measures and dimensions
4. Patterns
4.1 Symmetry
4.2 Spiral
5. Tesselation
6. Perspective
7. Fibonacci series
8. Golden ration
9. Calculus
1. NUMERICAL
The numerical is the most fundamental and basic part of mathematics. It is the
counting of objects and other apparatus. Counting is the assigning of numerals for
the objects present. For everything, there is a certain number of the thing. That is, a
thing is either single or there are many of the same thing. Mathematics in the form of
counting determines the value of the number of things. Even none of an object can be
denoted by the mathematical numeral 0(zero).Nature created objects and in a certain
number of the same object. Hence, everything and every aspect of nature have a
certain numeral to denote the number of the object.
 Number of mountains - Fig.1 Single flower Fig.2

2.SHAPES
Shapes are a part of mathematics and any shape is defined with reference to its sides
and angles. Shapes are also known as figures. Shapes are defined as a space occupied
by an object in a plane.
Everything in the universe has a shape. Without a certain shape, nothing can ever exist.
The earth and planets has a certain shape which is a well defined shape called
spherical shape. There are undefined shapes such as the shape of a tree etc. The orbits
of the planets are shaped elliptically. Hence, all things that occupy space have shapes,
they may have any number of sides or vertices but there is a shape for everything.

A cat with different shapes in different parts-Fig.3 Earth with a spherical shape-Fig.4

3.Measures and dimensions

We have discussed that everything has a shape. Shapes
are lines or curves joint together. The lines and curves
have a value called length. Each length has its own
magnitude to determine a shape. We know that
everything has a shape and hence will have dimensions.
 Figure 1-Mt.Everest also has a measure

Therefore we can conclude that everything has a definite measure. There are different
magnitudes of different sides of a shape and that side is called the shapes dimension.
Every dimension has a magnitude as described before, is called its measure. Natures
creation also is made of shapes and hence has measures.
4. Patterns

Patterns in nature are visible regularities of form found in the natural world. These
patterns recur in different contexts and can sometimes be modelled mathematically.
Natural patterns include symmetries, trees, spirals, meanders, waves, foams, arrays,
cracks and stripes. Early Greek philosophers studied pattern, with Plato, Pythagoras
and Empedocles attempting to explain order in nature. The modern understanding of
visible patterns developed gradually over time. There are different types of patterns.
They are
Symmetrical and
Spiral which are described in the following subsections.
4. 1 Symmetrical
Symmetry is pervasive in living things. Animals mainly have bilateral or mirror
symmetry, as do the leaves of plants and some flowers such as orchids.[ Plants often
have radial or rotational symmetry, as do many flowers and some groups of animals
such as sea anemones. Five-fold symmetry is found in starfish, sea urchins, and sea
lilies.
Among non-living things, snowflakes have striking six-fold symmetry: each flake is
unique, its structure forming a record of the varying conditions during its
crystallisation, with nearly the same pattern of growth on each of its six arms. Crystals
in general have a variety of symmetries and crystal habits; they can be cubic or
octahedral, but true crystals cannot have fivefold symmetry .Rotational symmetry is
found at different scales among non-living things including the crown-shaped splash
pattern formed when a drop falls into a pond, and both the spherical shape and rings of
a planet like Saturn.
Symmetry has a variety of causes. Radial symmetry suits organisms like sea anemones
whose adults do not move: food and threats may arrive from any direction. But
animals that move in one direction necessarily have upper and lower sides, head and
tail ends, and therefore a left and a right. The head becomes specialised with a mouth
and sense organs (cephalisation), and the body becomes bilaterally symmetric (though
internal organs need not be). More puzzling is the reason for the fivefold (pent radiate)
symmetry of the echinoderms. Early echinoderms were bilaterally symmetrical, as
their larvae still are. Sumrall and Wray argue that the loss of the old symmetry had
both developmental and ecological causes.

Fig.4 Symmetry in a bird Fig.5 Symmetry in snowflake

4.2 Spiral
Spirals are common in plants and in some animals, notably molluscs. For example, in
the nautilus, a cephalopod mollusc, each chamber of its shell is an approximate copy
of the next one, scaled by a constant factor and arranged in a logarithmic spiral. Given
a modern understanding of fractals, a growth spiral can be seen as a special case of
self-similarity
Plant spirals can be seen in phyllotaxis, the arrangement of leaves on a stem, and in the
arrangement of other parts as in composite flower heads and seed heads like the
sunflower or fruit structures like the pineapple and snake fruit, as well as in the pattern
of scales in pine cones, where multiple spirals run both clockwise and anticlockwise.
These arrangements have explanations at different levels mathematics, physics,
chemistry, biology each individually correct, but all necessary together. Phyllotaxis
spirals can be generated mathematically from Fibonacci ratios: the Fibonacci sequence
runs 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13... (Each subsequent number being the sum of the two preceding
ones). For example, when leaves alternate up a stem, one rotation of the spiral touches
two leaves, so the pattern or ratio is 1/2. In hazel the ratio is 1/3; in apricot it is 2/5; in
pear it is 3/8; in almond it is 5/13.[41] In disc phyllotaxis as in the sunflower and
daisy, the florets are arranged in Fermat's spiral with Fibonacci numbering, at least
when the flower head is mature so all the elements are the same size. Fibonacci ratios
approximate the golden angle, 137.508, which governs the curvature of Fermat's
spiral
From the point of view of physics, spirals are lowest-energy configurations which
emerge spontaneously through self-organizing processes in dynamic systems. From
the point of view of chemistry, a spiral can be generated by a reaction-diffusion
process, involving both activation and inhibition. Phyllotaxis is controlled by proteins
that manipulate the concentration of the plant hormone auxin, which activates
meristem growth, alongside other mechanisms to control the relative angle of buds
around the stem. From a biological perspective, arranging leaves as far apart as
possible in any given space is favoured by natural selection as it maximises access to
resources, especially sunlight for photosynthesis.
4.3
5. Tessellation
A tessellation is the repeating of a plane using one or more geometric shapes, called
tiles, with no overlaps and no gaps. Tessellations form a class of patterns in nature, for
example in the arrays of hexagonal cells found in honeycombs.
The shell of the turtle also has a type of tessellation. Many other examples can be
drawn from nature such as pinecones, flowers and trees. Tessellation is one of the most
found mathematical aspects. Other examples in nature include waves of the sea.
 Fig.6 Tessellation in honeycomb Fig.7 Sea wave tessellation Fig.8-Tessellation in pineapple

6.Perspective
Perspective, in context of vision and visual perception, is the way in which objects
appear to the eye based on their spatial attributes; or their dimensions and the position
of the eye relative to the objects. There are two main meanings of the term: linear
perspective and aerial perspective.
The development of new forms of geometric projection in the construction of
perspective corresponds with the invention of novel pictorial art forms of visual
representation in the Italian Renaissance, since the fourteenth century and up till the
end of the sixteenth century, and specifically within the circles of architectural and
artistic experimentation and design.
As objects become more distant they appear smaller because their visual
angle decreases. The visual angle of an object is the angle subtended at the eye by
a triangle with the object at its base. The greater the distance of the object from the
eye, the greater is the height of this triangle, and the less the visual angle. This follows
simply from Euclidean geometry.[2]
The Sun and the Moon appear to be roughly the same size because the Sun, although
much larger, is also much farther away. The relationship between distance and
apparent height of objects is an inverse-linear function:

where h is the apparent height, d is the distance of the object, and a is the actual size of
the object. So if you want to find the true height of an object in the distance, multiply
the apparent height with the distance the object is from you.
Hypothetically, if an object were positioned at the focal point of the light entering the
eye (i.e., at the single point in space that the rays of light cross over), it would appear
infinitely tall.
Perspective is found in nature as given before like in the planets. They are also found
on earth like in forests and rivers.
 Fig.9-A forest ending in one point Fig.10-A path ending in one point

Fig.11-A river in one point

7.Fibonacci series
The Fibonacci series first discovered by Fibonacci belongs to the infinite series of
mathematics. It is the continuous addition of two terms beginning from 1.The series
goes as follows:
0, 1, 1,2,3,5,8,13
The addition of first 2 terms, 0 and 1 gives 1. Now, 1 and 1 give 2 and then 2 and 1
gives 3 and it goes on. Fibonacci series is very much found in nature and mainly in
plants. They are described in the following table.
Number of Petals
3 petals (or 2 sets of 3)
5 petals
8 petals
13 petals
21 petals
34 petals
55 petals
89 petals
Table 1-Fibonacci series in flowers
The Fibonacci series is also found in spirals such as in spiral galaxies and snail shells.

Fig.12-Fibonacci series in pineapple Fig.13 Fibonacci series in shells Fig.14 Fibonacci series in flower petals
8.Golden ratio
Golden ratio is basically derived from the Fibonacci series. Dividing any two terms of
the Fibonacci series in greater number by smaller number excluding 1, 2, 3 and 5 will
approximately land in the golden ratio which is equal to
1.6180339887498948482...The golden ratio is an irrational number.
The golden ratio is present in nature. One good example will be the finger bones, faces
and the body of humans. The golden ratio is also known as phi.

Fig.15-Human hand and phi Fig.16-Human body and phi Fig.17-Phi in human face
9.Calculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics which is used in complex physical calculations. It
is the calculation of change. Calculus is found in nature in bacterial multiplication and
growth. The number of bacteria after some time after start can be computed using
calculus.

Fig.18 Bacterial growth Fig.19 Graphical representation after computation of

Bacterial growth with calculus

10. Conclusions
Therefore, by the above descriptions of parts of mathematics, we could observe
mathematics everywhere. Each of us has contributed to our extent to submit this
project. Mathematics is a very wonderful and explorable to us. This subject is
enjoyable and builds a sense of meaning to ones sole life. Whatever we go through in
our daily life has at least one aspect of mathematics as above described.

We will in the near future, work for this wonderful subject to explore the
mathematics in everything around us. So we would like to have many other team
projects like this to make mathematics an easier subject to all and make people love
the wonderful subject.