General Education 4: Mathematics in the Modern World

Chapter 1: Mathematics in Our World

Lesson 1.1 The Meaning of Mathematics

Mathematics is a way to settle in the mind of children a habit of reasoning. It is a

discipline investigating “formal structures”. Mathematics has been seen also as a logical
construct that is based on a lot of axioms of either set of theory or number theory.

Mathematics is derived from the ancient word manthanein meaning to learn. The greek
rrot mathesis means knowledge or its other form mathema meaning science, knowledge, or
learning, and mathematikos or mathemata means fond of learning.

Mathematics defines as the science of numbers and their operations, interrelations,

combinations, generalizations, measurement, transformations and generalizations.

Lesson 1.2: Mathematics as a Study of Patterns and Relationships

COMMON PATTERNS

LOGIC PATTERNS

Logic patterns are related to geometric patterns and numbers pattern. It helps us classify
objects or figures. One kinds of logic patterns deal with characteristics of various objects.
Another kind deals with orders: there is a sequence of object possess.

Example1. In a polygon, a diagonal connects two vertices that are not already connected by an
edge.

How many diagonals can be drawn in a hexagonal?

Example 2. Look at the following pattern.

How many circles will be in the

next figures in the pattern?

NUMBER PATTERNS

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 General Education 4: Mathematics in the Modern World

A number pattern is a list or set of numbers that follow a certain sequence or

arrangement. It is where numbers are arranged in either ascending or descending order, and have
with it basic operations of mathematics or a certain series of arithmetical operation.

Pattern can be in the form of counting up or down and the missing number is form of
completing count up or down.

Example1. 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, ___. What is the next number?

SOLUTION: 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21.

Example 2. 30, 27, 24, 21, ___. What is the next number?

Solution: 30, 27, 24, 21, 18.

Example 3. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, ____. What is the next number?

Solution: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64.

Example 4. 200, 100, 50, ____. What is the next number?

Solution: 200, 100, 50, 25.

FIBONACCI SEQUENCE

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of the numbers where a number is found by adding up
the two numbers before it.

There are patterns in which the numbers are in the increasing for. In this pattern, the
amount that is added in the terms, changes every time in predictable manner.

Example 1. 4, 5, 7, 10, 14, 19, what is the next number?

Solution: 4, 5, 7, 10, 14, 19, 25. The pattern start with 4, add 1 and the amount which we can add
increase by 1 every time.

Example 2. 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, and so forth.

In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers, commonly denoted Fn, form a sequence, called
the Fibonacci sequence, such that each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, starting
from 0 and 1. That is,

F0 = 0, F1 = 1 and F0 = Fn-1 + Fn-2

for n > 1.

The beginning of the sequence is thus: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, …

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 General Education 4: Mathematics in the Modern World

In some older books, the value F0 = 0is omitted, so that the sequence starts with F1 =F2 =
1and the recurrence F0 = Fn-1 + Fn-2 is valid for n > 2.

The Fibonacci spiral: an approximation of the golden

spiral created by drawing circular arcs connecting the
opposite corners of squares in the Fibonacci tiling; (see
preceding image)

Fibonacci numbers are strongly related to the golden

ratio: Binet's formula expresses the nth Fibonacci number in
terms of n and the golden ratio, and implies that the ratio of
two consecutive Fibonacci numbers tends to the golden ratio
as n increases.

Fibonacci numbers are named after Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, later known
as Fibonacci. In his 1202 book Liber Abaci, Fibonacci introduced the sequence to Western
European mathematics, although the sequence had been described earlier in Indian mathematics,
as early as 200 BC in work by Pingala on enumerating possible patterns of Sanskrit poetry
formed from syllables of two lengths.

MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS INVOLVING NUMBER PATTERNS.

An orders list of numbers such as -3, 1, 5, 9, 13 … is called a sequence. The numbers in

a sequence that are separated by commas are the terms of the sequence. The above sequence is
called an arithmetic sequence. Sometimes the words “series or progression” are used in place of
sequence. In the above sequence, -3 is the first term represented by a1, 1 is the first term
represented by a2, 5 is the first term represented by a3, and so on. The three dot “…” indicate that
the sequence continues beyond 13, which is the last term. It is customary to use the subscript
notation an to designate the nth term of a sequence.

Formula: an = a1 + d (n-1)

The sum of n terms is: S = n/2 (a1+an)

Example 1. Nic decided to save money for one week from his allowance. Each day he
saves 12 pesos more than the previous day. If he started saving 8 pesos in the first day, how
much will he set aside in the fifth dat? After a week, how much would he have saved?

Given: a1 = 8 d = 12

Solution: a5 = a1 + d (n - 1) a5 = 8 + 12 (4) a5 = 56

a5 = 8 + 12 (5 – 1) a5 = 8 + 48

Example 2. Find the seventh term in the sequence 5,14,27,44,65…

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 General Education 4: Mathematics in the Modern World

The pattern is adding 4 more than the number added in the previous number.

Solution: let x be the added number:

x6 = x1 + d (n-1) x6 = x1 + d (n-1)

x6 = 5 + 4 (6-1) x6 = 5 + 4 (7-1)

x6 = 5 + 4 (5) x6 = 5 + 4 (6)

x6 = 5 + 20 x6 = 5 + 24

x6 = 25 x6 = 29

a6 = 65 + 25 a7 = 90 + 29

a6 = 90 a7 = 119

Answer: the 7th term is 119.

Creating a geometric pattern is by moving a geometric object from one place to another
without changing its size or shape. Whenever a geometric figure is transformed in a way that the
relative distance between any two points has not changed, that transformation is called isometry.

Four type of isometrics

1. Translation – in the plane is an isometry that moves every

point in the plane a fixed distance in a direction.

2. Reflection – in the plane moves an object into a new

position that is a mirror image of the original.

3. Rotation – is an isometry that moves each point in a fixed

angle relative to a central point.

4. Glide Reflection – is an isometry that consists of a

translation followed by a reflection.

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