Section 1 THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICS CONTENTS * CHAPTER 1 Mathematics in our World * CHAPTER2 Mathematical Language and Symbols + CHAPTER3 Problem-Solving and Reasoning + CHAPTER4 Mathematical Reasoning [The universe} cannot be read until we have learnt the | Tanguage and become familiar with the characters in which itis written, Itis written in mathematical language. ~ Galileo Galilei Mathematics in the Modern World\ -\4, MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD ____ eee ematics has been a part of the humay s have been at the forefront of eye Itures. But what is mathematic) yet, mathematician, Since the beginning of recorded history, math search for understanding. Mathematical discoverie! civilized society, and in use in even the most primitive ofcu : This is a very simple question asking for a definition of mathematics, nie and philosophers liave varied views as the precise scope and definition o mathemati Mathematics is often defined as “a formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying and exploiting patterns” (Stewart, 1995). It is also described as “the science that deals with the logic of shape, quantity and arrangement” (Hom, 2013). It is also considered as an art, having an aesthetic and creative side. Perhaps it is impossible to give a good definition of mathematics in a sentence or two, However, all could possibly agree that mathematics in the modern world is a huge body of knowledge and a very diverse area of study. Whatever your view of math is, there is no denying that mathematics expresses itself everywhere, in almost every facet of life - in nature all around us, and in the technologies in our hands. This section presents a brief discussion of mathematics in certain points of view. Mathematics in Counting Mathematics has been around since the beginning of time and it probably begat with counting, Counting various quantities 1s one of the activities that people engagt in beginning at young age. “The mail Property of counting is so fundamestal {0 our perception of quantity that it Tanseemenmamfeislearingcon/— Seomune mite explicitly. The pure ‘out-borders/counting-for-a-heart- _°f Counting is to assign a numeric value of-wisd : See © group of objects, What makes countité Possible? A simple fact that such a vallé exists.” Moreover, 'sts.” (Bagomolny) 0 : te Concepts of numbers, numerals, aM ‘UPtraction, multiplication, and divisio”Mathematics as a Study of Patterns “We live in a universe of patterns” (Stewart, 1995). This is how Stewart opened his book Natures Numbers, which takes its readers on an intriguing and important journey into patterns as it explores what mathematics is for and what it is about. Mathematics is the study of patterns. Here, the patterns are related to the type of any event or objects. If we contract a set of elements or numbers in which all these elements or numbers are related to cach other in a specific rule, then this rule or manner is called the pattern, Pattern connotes order, regularity, and lawfulness. Studying pattern is an opportunity to observe, hypothesize, experiment, discover and create. That is why many results in mathematics come about as generalizations of numerical and geometric patterns. By understanding regularities based on the data gathered one can predict what comes next, estimate if the same pattern will occur when variables are altered and begin to extend the pattern. “Study of pattern integrates both the strands of mathematics and a variety of areas. It allows us to bring together mathematics with music, visual art and craft, vocabulary building, creative writing and verbal communication, social studies, science and environmental studies, talent and technology.” (Buchanan, 2011) The following are examples of different patterns: 1. Logical Patterns. “Young children usually first look at logic patterns. After all, making categories and doing classification comes before numeration. We have to be able to tell which things are blocks before we can learn to count blocks. One kind of logic pattern deals with the characteristics of various objects. Another kind deals with order: there's a sequence of objects and a pattern in the attributes the objects possess” (Annenberg Foundation, 2017). Commonly used patterns include classification, partition, chronology, cause/effect, problem/solution, iffthen, and evaluation, As the term “logic” implies, we use these patterns to think. 2. Geometric Patterns. A geometric pattern is a motif or design depicting abstract, nonrepresentational shapes such as lines, circles, ellipses, triangles, rectangles, and polygons. Geometric patterns consist ofa series of shapes. Patterns made from shapes are similar to patterns made from numbers because the pattern is determined by a rule, Below are examples of geometric patterns: see Source: https://artlandia.com/wonderland/glossary/ GeometricPattern.htm! Mathematics in the Modern World 3PR a Use tae A Age Oe eg aia aS Ea ae Ge i : ay lives. In real 3. Number Patterns, Numbers are everywhere in our Senta re wt while dealing with numbers, we often find differen ch day thal tefl . pattem is defined as an arrangement of number be ree, numbers is said as : particular, property or pattern, A Pala ee ee ri held yoda > rie pattern, “Mathematics is especially us : reas hae sae are all about prediction. Recognizing mane pie - z important problem solving skill. If you see a pattern hse sch i i = ically at specific examples, you can use that pattern to prose ize what ye into a broader solution to a problem.” (Annenberg Foundation, 2017) 4. Word Patterns, Patterns can be in language too! Often, in mathematics education, y. forget how many connections we can make to language arts. The metrical pattems ‘of poems and the syntactic patterns of how we make nouns plural or verbs past tense are both word patterns, and each supports — mathematical as well as natural language understanding. Language gives teachers of multiple subjects an interesting way to cross disciplines. But understand the focus here: It is not about how to communicate in mathematics; rather, it is about patterns in form and in syntax, which lead directly to learning about language in general and about machine communication in Particular (Annenberg Foundation, 2017) | Mlthe sulowers inthe world show @ number of spas ‘hat are within the Fibonacd Sequence. ‘www.slideshare.net/ Gosia_G/maths-and-nature-comenius- why-maths. Mathematics in Nature From rainbows, river meanders, and Shadows to spider webs, honeycombs, and the markings on anim n ‘al coats, the Visible world is full of Patterns that cam be described mathematical ly. Such readily observable phenomen; s the . ‘a Suggest that senre arneactencewoman beauty ofnature is revealed by mathematics M 16.htm! and the beauty of mathematics is revealed ‘nnature, (Adam, 2011), uence | on pide i a 5,8, 13,21, ..., called the Fibonacci sequence, ca s like in pineapples, Sunflowers, nautilus, and pine cones: For instance, the se be found in many natui Mathematics in the Modern WorldMathematics in Real Applications Mathematics is in every people’s daily task or activity. It is used as an essential tool in many fields, including the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, finance and the social sciences. It is the building block for everything in our daily lives, including mobile devices, architecture, art, money, infrastructures, and even sports. Mathematics helps in making the world a better place to live in. For instance, online banking is getting more and more popular these days, this depends on cryptography — the study of creating systems which make sure confidential information is secured, to keep bank transactions safe. Source: http://discovermagazine. com/2013/dec/13-math-made-flesh Mathematics in the Modern World