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A Synthesis Paper on Mathematics and Nature by Numbers

Introduction
The world we live in has entered a technological age-- one characterized by great
and rapid technological advancements and innovations. We live in a world where
people literally have gadgets small enough to fit in a pocket, yet is more powerful and
can process more information at quicker speeds than even the biggest and bulkiest
computers from just a few decades ago. Japan now has bullet train systems that can run
at speeds of 320 km/hour yet can remain comfortable and relatively silent in terms of
the travel experiences of passengers. Organizations like NASA and other space-related
agencies are able to collect new information everyday about the world us which
ultimately helps broaden the body of knowledge people have on Earth as well as helps
us better understand how to apply this knowledge for real-life applications.
One may initially think that all of these trickle down to the concepts of natural
sciences and engineering which may be true to an extent. It is very important to realize
that mathematics actually plays a big role in the creation of the modern innovations that
make life on Earth so comfortable. Mathematics and science remain to be two concepts
that are intrinsically-linked. Without the understanding of the world that mathematics
provides, other natural sciences would not thrive the way they do today. After all,
mathematics provides the framework of our understanding of the natural world and is a
science in itself -- a science of patterns.

Historical Background of Mathematics and How Mathematics is Defined Today

As mentioned previously, mathematics is the science of patterns and is the key to
understanding how the world around us works as it is filled with mathematical
properties. Though despite this, mathematics oftentimes gets misunderstood as just a
study of numbers and computations and nothing more. What makes this such a great
injustice is the fact that mathematics plays such an important role in today’s society, but
the misconception of it being just a “study of numbers” that remains quite popular to
this day was how mathematics was defined thousands of years ago.
In the book _____, it is explained that up to 500 B.C., mathematics was the study of
numbers during the periods of Babylonian and Egyptian mathematics. During these
periods, mathematics predominantly consisted of arithmetic and simple calculations.
Though this slowly began to change especially in Greece where the Greeks began a new
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era on mathematics -- one characterized by a focus on measurements of lengths and

shapes. Their viewpoint of mathematics being geometric in nature enabled it to evolve
from a utilitarian study of numbers to a study of both numbers and shapes. No
significant advances were made in the field of mathematics for a great deal of time until
the middle of the seventeenth century. It was during this period that Leibniz and
Newton invented calculus. This revolutionized what mathematics was due to the fact
that previously mathematics was something that was restricted to simple computations,
counting, and the measuring of lines and shapes. Calculus essentially enabled
mathematics to evolve into a study that involved a study of motion and change. Through
the introduction of techniques involved in calculus, discoveries such as how machines
and electricity work, how planets move, how plants behave, and other discoveries with
regards to the nature of our world began to emerge as a whole especially in disciplines
such as physics.
One of the most dramatic changes in the field of mathematics took place in the
twentieth century where the emergence of numerous distinct categories of the subject
occurred. In the early 20th century, there were about 12 subcategories of mathematics
which included subjects such as geometry and calculus. Nowadays, there are roughly
60-70 subcategories of mathematics. This rapid development in the field of
mathematics leads to finding a single definition that encompasses all of its
characteristics very difficult. Though a few decades ago, a definition of mathematics as
“a science of patterns” emerged and became a definition that most mathematicians
today generally agree upon. This may be due to the fact that patterns in general are
quite ambiguous and can take the form of patterns of numbers, patterns of behaviors,
patterns of events, and many others. These patterns can be completely conceptual in
nature or they can exist in the world around us. These patterns are what form the body
of knowledge and the language of the workings of the universe called mathematics.

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio

One of the most notable patterns in the world of mathematics is known as the
Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is a named after Italian mathematician,
Leonardo Fibonacci, who wrote about it in his book “Liber Abaci” in 1202 A.D. Despite
this sequence being known in India even at 6th century A.D., the western world owes it
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to Fibonacci for introducing the well-known sequence throughout his travels. The
Fibonacci sequence, itself, refers to a set of numbers starting with 0 and 1 with the
succeeding terms of the set generated from adding the two preceding terms. Another
interesting feature of the Fibonacci sequence would be the fact that the ratios of the of
the successive Fibonacci approach the imaginary number “phi” (Φ) which is also known
as the “Golden Ratio.” The Golden Ratio can be visualized through plotting squares and
rectangles to form the Golden Rectangle. Shapes and objects formed taking into account
the proportions of the Golden Ratio or the Golden Rectangle are relatively known to be
pleasing to the eye. This is one of the reasons why the Golden Ratio is known to have
been utilized in the construction of famous architectural landmarks such as the
Parthenon. Though in addition to the Golden Ratio being exhibited in the world
architecture, what makes the Golden Ratio even more interesting would be the fact that
this pattern that stems from the Fibonacci Sequence can be found all throughout
elements of nature.

The Golden Rectangle with the Golden Spiral which resembles The Nautilus Shell

Mathematics in Nature
One of the most iconic objects that exemplify the Fibonacci numbers in the real
world would be the application of the Golden Spiral for the formation of the nautilus
shell. Despite its popularity, mathematics in nature goes way beyond just this one
example. The Fibonacci numbers can actually be commonly seen in variety of places in
the world. It can also be seen in the number of flower petals that flowers typically have.
This number of petals will often be one of the Fibonacci numbers. Examples of this can
be seen in how lilies have 3 petals, buttercups have 5, and some delphiniums have 8. In
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addition to this, the Golden Ratio is also used with the way sunflowers grow and
distribute their seeds. This particular example is actually very interesting as the
sunflower utilizes the golden ratio to maximize the amount of seeds that can be laid out
on the flower having a limited amount of space. This example not only shows how
evident the Golden Ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence is in the real world, but it also
emphasizes the fact that mathematics is often utilized in nature and the patterns that
nature has evolved to develop are often very efficient and well-designed. This
characteristic of nature’s utilization of mathematical patterns in design can also be seen
in the way bee colonies lay out their honeycomb as a means to store honey while still
minimizing the amount of wax that is used. This principle of great design resulting from
the mathematical patterns of the world is one of the guiding principles of the Janine
Benyus’s concept of “Biomimicry.”

Mathematical Patterns in Engineering and Design

According to Janine Benyus, the concept of Biomimicry is rooted from the idea
that innovation can stem from nature. Benyus that innovations and engineering in the
modern world of today result from a need to become better adapted to our
environment. And in drawing inspiration for engineering from the environment, human
beings can learn how the evolutionary patterns that work so well in nature such as how
bees efficiently utilize their wax or how sunflowers optimize their seed distribution can
be applied in technology and in the improvement and synthesis of new inventions. The
principles of Biomimicry involve an understanding of the mathematical patterns that
thrive in the natural world and how the recognition and application of these patterns
can help improve the quality of life that exists in different societies today.
In a video created by Vox, an American news and media company, it was
discussed how Biomimicry was utilized as a means to redesign the Japanese Shinkansen
trains in an effort to make them quiet enough to meet regulations for the trains to pass
residential areas. Initially, the trains were too loud to meet the regulations, and a team
of engineers were brought in to address the issue. The engineers decided to draw
inspiration from shapes in nature to solve the issue. The most notable change made to
the design of the train was its nose as its new design was patterned after the kingfisher
beak. This was done after realizing that the kingfisher beak design would significantly
reduce the amount of noise and wind resistance of the train thus solving the problem
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the engineers were initially faced with. Another example of Biomimicry was the
utilization of an analysis of the mathematical patterns that can be found in the way
schools of fish swim together. Students at the California Institute of Technology studied
how amongst schools of fish, the fish leading the group flung their tails in such a way
that help push the fish that follow them forward which saves them energy. The students
took this idea and decided to apply it in the development of new wind turbines for
energy generation. This design enabled the students to generate significantly more
amounts of energy in comparison to traditional windmill designs.

Biomimicry in Efficient Wind Turbine Design

Biomimicry in Shinkansen Train Nose as Modeled After Kingfisher Beak

Mathematics as a Way of Looking at the World

One of the primary reasons why Biomimicry works so well would be the fact that
it takes an analysis and an identification of patterns as a means to devise something
great. This is also why mathematics is so important. It is not a tool with the sole purpose
of computing numbers or looking at shapes. It is about recognizing patterns in the world
around us and applying these concepts to better understand how the world works and
how this can be applied to improve life in society. Though despite the apparent
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usefulness of mathematics,

Conclusion