MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Module for Prelim Period

Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

A pattern may have a list of numbers in which a constant is added to get the succeeding terms. For
other sequences, the terms are increasing because the number to be added is increasing in a predictable
way. There are also number patterns whose terms are decreasing, because the number to be added is
decreasing in an expected way.
Let us refer to Table 1 for the different set of examples.
Table 1. Patterns and Numbers
To generate the next term, Example 1 Example 2
the number to be added is
Repeating 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, … 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, …
growing / increasing 14, 15, 17, 20, 24, 29, … 4, 5, 7, 10, 14, 19, 25, …
shrinking / decreasing 118, 98, 73, 43, 8, -32, … 200, 190, 170, 140, …

Figurative Numbers
The word “calculus” originally meant a small pebble used to calculate. figurative numbers are defined as a
geometrical arrangement of points with equal spaces that forms regular shapes.

The Fibonacci Sequence

The Fibonacci sequence is one of the most famous formulas in
mathematics. Each number in the sequence is the sum of the two
numbers that precede it.
So, the sequence goes: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and so on.
The man behind this sequence is Leonardo Pisano Bogollo, whose
nickname was “Fibonacci” which roughly means “Son of Bonacci”. He
lived between 1170 and 1250 in Italy.

Study the pattern of the Fibonacci sequence below.

Term 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 …
Term
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 …
Number (n)

If you have noticed, adding the two consecutive terms will result to another term of the Fibonacci
sequence, Hence, it could be expressed as:
Fn = Fn-1 + Fn-2
Where: Fn = Fibonacci number
Fn-1 = previous term
Fn-2 = the term before Fn-1

The Golden Ratio is a special number, which is approximately equal to

1.618034 and may be used to find the nth term of a Fibonacci Sequence
using the Binet’s formula.
Aside from the famous painting Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci was
also known for his Vitruvian Man. It was one of the most important works
of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vitruvius (1492), the 15th century
drawing was also known as “the proportions of the human body”.
Expressions vs. Sentences
You learned in your English subject that expressions do not state a complete though but sentences
do. Mathematical sentences state a complete thought. On the other hand, mathematical expressions do
not. You cannot test if it is true or not.
Let us refer to the following examples as presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Mathematical Expression vs. Mathematical Sentence

Mathematical Expression Mathematical Sentence

32.34 8 – 20 = -12
9 + 12 -34 + 15 = -19
x+ 5 1∙𝑥 =𝑥

Binary Operations
A unary operation is for a single number and assigns another number to it. Addition (+), subtraction
(-), multiplication (x), and division (÷) are examples of binary operations. The word “binary” means
composition of two pieces. A binary operation refers to joining two values to create a new one.

Study the following properties of addition and multiplication, as binary operations, on the set of real
numbers.

I. Closure Property
Addition: The sum of any two real numbers is also a real number
Examples: 12 + 30 = 42
-23 + 40 = 17

Multiplication: The product of any two real numbers is also a real number.
Examples: 6 x 25 = 150
12 x 4 = 48

II. Commutative Property

Addition: For any two real numbers x and y, x + y = y + x
Examples: 23 + 11 = 11 + 23 12 + 9 = 9 + 12
34 = 34 21 = 21

Multiplication: For any two real numbers x and y, xy = yx

Examples: 4 x 11 = 11 x 4 8 x 12 = 12 x 8
44 = 44 96 = 96

Applying the commutative property of addition, we may write the equivalent expression of 8m + 7n
as 8m + 7n = 7n + 8m.

III. Associative Property

Addition: For any given real numbers, x, y and z, 𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧
Examples: 3 + (6 + 2) = (3 + 6) + 2 8 + (2 + 4) = (8 + 2) + 4
3+8=9+2 8 + 6 = 10 + 4
11 = 11 14 = 14

Multiplication. For any given real numbers, x, y and z, 𝑥 ∙ 𝑦 ∙ 𝑧 = (𝑥 ∙ 𝑦) ∙ 𝑧

Examples: 2 ∙ 3 ∙ 4 = (2 ∙ 3) ∙ 4 3 ∙ 5 ∙ 4 = (3 ∙ 5) ∙ 4
2 ∙ 12 = 6 ∙ 4 3 ∙ 20 = 15 ∙ 4
24 = 24 60 = 60

Using associative property of multiplication, we may write the equivalent expression of (42𝑐 ! ) ∙
16𝑎 ! 𝑏 ! as 42𝑐 ! ∙ 16𝑎 ! 𝑏 ! = 16𝑎 ! 𝑏 ! ∙ 42𝑐 !
 IV. Identity Property
Addition: For any real number, x, 𝑥 + 0 = 𝑥. The number “0” is called the additive identity.
Examples: 67 + 0 = 67
23 + 0 = 23

Multiplication: For any real number x, 𝑥 ∙ 1 = 𝑥. The number “1” is called the multiplicative identity.
Examples: 52 ∙ 1 = 52
−34 ∙ 1 = −34

Using the identity property, we may write an equivalent expression of a mathematical expression by
substituting an expression that is equal to the additive identity or multiplicative identity. Let us refer to
the following examples as shown below.

!! !
Example 1. Write an equivalent expression of by multiplying instead of 1.
! !
!! !!
= ∙1
! !
!! !
= ∙
! !
!"!
=
!"
!"! !!
Therefore, and are equivalent expressions.
!" !

Example 2. Write an equivalent expression of 9𝑗 ! − 5 by adding (2m – 2m) instead of 0.

9𝑗 ! − 5 = 9𝑗 ! − 5 + 0
= 9𝑗 ! − 5 + (2𝑚 − 2𝑚)
= 9𝑗 ! + 2𝑚 − 5 − 2𝑚
Therefore, 9𝑗 − 5 and 9𝑗 ! + 2𝑚 − 5 − 2𝑚 are equivalent expressions.
!

V. Distributive Property of Multiplication Over Addition

For any two real numbers x, y and z, 𝑥 𝑦 + 𝑧 = 𝑥𝑦 + 𝑥𝑧
Examples: a(b + c – d) = ab + ac – ad
3(2 + x + y) = 6 + 3x + 3y
4(mfinal – minitial) = 4mfinal – 4minitial

VI. Inverses of Binary Operations

Addition: For any real number x, x + (-x) = 0
Examples: 20 + (-20) = 0
384 + (-384) = 0

!
Multiplication: For any real number x, 𝑥 ∙ = 1
!
!
Examples: 85 ∙ =1
!"
!
126 ∙ =1
!"#

Sources:
https://www.slideshare.net/resmisnairs/history-of-mathematics-slide-presentationresmi?from_action=save
Manlulu, E.A. and Hipolito, L.M.M. (2019) A Course Module for Mathematics in the Modern World.
https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/fibonacci-sequence.html
https://www.livescience.com/37470-fibonacci-sequence.html
Manlulu, E.A. and Hipolito, L.M.M. (2019) A Course Module for Mathematics in the Modern World.
https://pt.slideshare.net/mobile/carolinevest77/relations-and-functions-remediation-notes/5
https://www.ck12.org/book/ck-12-algebra-i-honors/section/3.1/