1 | Mathematics in the Modern World 1

UNIT 1: MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD

1.0. Intended Learning Outcomes

a. Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world
b. Articulate the importance of mathematics in one’s life
c. Present patterns in nature using different methods
d. Express appreciation of mathematics as a human endeavor

1.1. Introduction

Are you a nature lover? Are you fond of going to the mountains,
beaches, forests, caves, rivers, islands, and other natural places? Or are you a
plantita? If you are, are you observant of the patterns in leaves or flowers? How
about man-made structures, do you like looking at high rise buildings, bridges,
skyways, auditoriums, and other architectural structures? Have you ever
wondered how these things have been made?

There is no question that man-made structures are actually created with

the help of mathematics. Not just the modern ones but even the ancient ones.
But how about nature, is there mathematics in it?

In this unit, you will be introduced to how mathematics is evident in our

nature and how our actions are ruled by mathematics.

1.2. Mathematics in Nature

1.2.1. Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

Patterns

Patterns are consciously observed in man-made objects as it creates a design

that is pleasing to our eyes. The way you tie your shoelace, the way the floor tiles are
arranged together, and the designs of festival costumes, are just examples of things
that, if would not follow a pattern, would look disorganized and messy.

Additionally, patterns are not just to make something look pleasing, it also
helps things to be stronger. Have you seen a construction worker stacking hollow
blocks? Or a stockman piling boxes in a warehouse? What can you observe about their
work? Can you see regular and repeated actions? Do you know that these persons
follow a pattern to make sure that what they are piling will not easily fall?

And lastly, patterns are actually a natural thing. Have you ever wonder why
trees only bear fruit at a particular period of the year? Or why do farmers plant a
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particular crop in the same quarter every year? These events actually happen
repeatedly every year because it follows a pattern.

Here are some natural and man-made objects that follow a pattern.

© originalshrewsbury.co.uk © scienceworld.ca

© dpreview.com © paintbasket.com

Pattern is defined as a design in which lines, shapes, forms or colors are

repeated. Let’s take a look at examples of repeated patterns.

Example 1.1: What would be the sixth frame?

©practiceaptitudetests.com

Solution:
It can be observed that the first frame was re-used in the fifth frame, therefore the sixth
frame would also be the same as the second frame. So, the answer is B.
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Example 1.2: What would be the sixth frame?

©practiceaptitudetests.com
Solution:
It can be observed that the fifth frame is the same as the first frame, therefore the sixth
frame will also be the same as the second frame. So, the answer is D.

Patterns are not only applicable to repeated images, shapes or objects. It can
also be a repeated application of a rule that dictates the sequence. Figure 1.1 will
illustrate this.

©bbc.co.uk

Figure 1.1.
Notice the pattern in Figure 1.1. It can be observed that the number of boxes is
increasing by 1. It can be concluded easily that the next figure is a pile of six boxes.
Example 1.3: Which diagram will complete the series?
©pinterest.ph

Solution:
This example is a bit complex. The increasing pattern is not described by a fix number.
But it can be observed that the difference between the two succeeding diagrams is
increasing. The difference between 1st and 2nd diagrams is 1. Between 2nd and 3rd, the
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difference is 2. Between 3rd and 4th, the difference is 3. We can now conclude that the
difference between 4th and the next diagram is 4. Since 4th diagram has 8 dots, thus,
the diagram that completes the series is D, which has 12 dots.

Example 1.4: Which domino will complete the series?

©practiceaptitudetests.com
Solution:
This example is more complex than the previous example. It can be observed that
there are two patterns that should be considered. One is the pattern that appears in
the upper part of the domino, and one in the lower part. Considering the 1 st, 3rd, and
5th dominos, the upper part is decreasing by 1, while the lower part is increasing by 1.
For the 2nd and 4th dominos, where the 6th and missing domino should follow its
pattern, the upper part is increasing by 1, while the lower part is decreasing by 1.
Therefore, 6th domino that will complete the series is A.

Patterns are also present in mathematics. One example is the number sequence.
Let’s take a look at these numbers:

2, 4, 6, 8, 10

What can you observe about the sequence? Does it follow a pattern? Can you
predict the next three numbers after the 10?

Analyzing the sequence above, we can notice that the interval between
numbers is 2. Easily, we can say that the next three numbers are 12, 14, and 16.

Understanding patterns is important. It will somehow help you think or decide

logically. Engage yourself in the practice part to check how good you are in
determining patterns.
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Practice 1.1: Determine the diagram that completes the series. Give a brief
explanation of your conclusion.
1.

2.

3.

Practice 1.2: Analyze the given sequence and determine the next three terms.

A. 2, 5, 9, 14, 20
B. 2, 6, 10, 14, 16
C. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25

To appreciate more the patterns in nature, click the link or scan the QR code
to watch a YouTube video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig9RUaJe00c&t=75s

Symmetry
Aside from patterns, another property that is evident in nature is symmetry. It
is when you fold, cut in half or draw a line across an object, and the result is a
mirroring image of each other, as shown in Figure 1.2.
 1 | Mathematics in the Modern World 6

©monodue.com
Figure above is an example of the simplest type of symmetry, the line or bilateral
symmetry. This type of symmetry is evident in most animals and humans.
©selfstudy365.com

An object is said to be bilateral symmetry when it is only symmetrical if positioned

upward or downward. Another type of symmetry is called rotational symmetry. It is
when an object is rotated by several degrees, the same appearance as the original
position is still achieved. Below are examples of objects that has rotational symmetry.
1 1 1

5 2
4 2

3 2
The smallest angle n=3
that
a figure can be rotated
3 while still4maintaining3the original
formation is call angle of ration. n=4 n=5

The formula to compute the angle of rotation is:

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360𝑜
𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 =
𝑛

where: n is the number of times an object can be rotated while it is still preserving its
original position.

Example: Find the angle of rotation of a triangle.

Solution: Consider the figure of the triangle in the previous page.

Since n = 3, substituting it in the formula, we will have

360𝑜
𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = = 120𝑜
3

The Sunflower and Pineapple

© https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/
© originalshrewsbury.co.uk

entry/Pineapple

Look at the two pictures. Look at the arrangement of the seeds and scales of
sunflower and pineapples, respectively. Are they not organized? And this
organization makes it look so beautiful. After some experiments conducted, the
number of seeds in each spiral for the sunflower, and the number of scales for each
diagonal in the pineapples follows a so called Fibonacci number, which will be
discussed in the next topic.
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1.2.2. The Fibonacci Sequence

Activity 1.2.2a:

Observe the picture and supply the succeeding numbers in the sequence:

https://artblot.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/fibonacci-rabbits.png

How did you get the numbers? Explain comprehensively.

(Write your answer in a separate sheet of paper and submit it together with the unit test.)

Aside from the visual patterns that can be seen around us, there are also
numerical patterns that help us understand how mathematics is part of nature.
Example is the Fibonacci Sequence.

A sequence is an ordered list of numbers, called terms, that may have repeated
values. The arrangement of these terms is set by a definite rule.
Example 1.2.2a: Analyze the given sequence and determine the next three terms.
A. 3, 6, 12, 24
B. 1, 4, 10, 19
C. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
Solution:
A. the second term is twice the first term, the third term is twice the second term, and
the fourth term is twice the third term. Therefore, the next terms are 24(2) = 48,
48(2) = 96, 96(2) = 192
B. the interval from the first term to the second term is 3, from second to the third term
is 6, from third to fourth is 9, it shows that the interval between terms is increasing
by 3. Therefore, the next terms are 19 + 12 = 31, 31 + 15 = 46, 46 + 18 = 64.
The third sequence in Example 1.2.2a is a special sequence called the Fibonacci
sequence. It was named after Leonardo of Pisa, an Italian mathematician who was
known for his nickname of Fibonacci. He said to have discovered this sequence as he
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looked at how a hypothesized group of rabbits bred and reproduced, like what was
shown in Activity 1.3.2a
The succeeding terms in Fibonacci sequence can be obtained by adding the two
preceding terms. For example:
0+1=1 1, 1
1+1=2 1, 1, 2
1+2=3 1, 1, 2, 3
2+3=5 1, 1, 2, 3, 5
3+5=8 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
5 + 8 = 13 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13
8 + 13 = 21 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21
And so on and so forth…
Graphically, this is how the Fibonacci sequence would be drawn:

https://i1.wp.com/www.theifod.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/fibo2-300x188.png?resize=450%2C282

Although the sequence is known as the Fibonacci sequence, the pattern is said
to have been discovered at much earlier time in India as this pattern can be seen in
their arts and writings.
This pattern is actually present in nature. Some of the most beautiful patterns
in nature contain the Fibonacci numbers. The shape of a snail’s shell, the spiral
arrangement of sunflower seeds, the arrangement of petals in a flower, are just an
example of natural things that contain these numbers.

Now, let us try to divide the consecutive terms of this sequence, the smaller
number being the divisor, we get,
1 8 55
= 1.000 = 1.600 = 1.618
1 5 34
2 13 89
= 2.000 = 1.625 = 1.618
1 8 55
3 21 144
= 1.500 = 1.615 = 1.618
2 13 89
5 34 233
= 1.667 = 1.619 = 1.618
3 21 144

What can you observe about the ratios at it goes farther and farther?
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The Golden Ratio

Another interesting characteristic of the Fibonacci sequence is that the ratios of

successive numbers approach the number Φ (Phi), also known as the Golden Ratio. This
number is approximately equal to 1.618 as shown in the previous page.
This Golden Ratio is said to be visible in many artworks and architecture. Shapes
and figures that contain this proportion are considered to be beautiful.
Here are some examples:

fullpotentialtutor.com
i.pinimg.com
invisionapp.com

makeuseof.com

To better appreciate the Golden Ratio, you may watch this video in YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8ccsE_IumM

What did you learn from the video? I’m pretty sure you’ve learned a lot.
Actually, there are more surprises that we can discover about the connection of
mathematics in nature. For now, let me give you this task.
Your Task:
Look for one (1) man-made design and one (1) natural object in your area that
you think follows the golden ratio. Take a photo of each and trace it with the golden
rectangle or the golden spiral.
 1 | Mathematics in the Modern World 11

1.2.3. Mathematics for our World

After reading the two previous topics, we cannot deny the fact that
mathematics is really in our natural world, specifically in how nature follows a logical
and mathematical pattern. In this topic, we are going to discuss on how mathematics
is used to solve societal problems.

Mathematics for Organization

In just one minute, there are lots of available

data that can be found in the internet. For these data
to make sense, we need mathematical tools to help
us analyze, interpret, and make decisions out of it.
For example, to know the status of the COVID-19
pandemic in the country, mathematics is being
used to organize available data about COVID-19.

https://www.doh.gov.ph/2019-nCoV

Mathematics for Prediction

With the help of the organized data, scientists are able to make a prediction out
of it. Predictions or forecasts are important as they may help us to avoid something to
happen or to lessen the effect of a phenomenon.

Recently, some researchers from the University of the Philippines has released
a forecast of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, specifically in NCR, Cebu, and other
hotspots places in the country.

https://www.up.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Fig12.png

This prediction is not just based on observation and opinion. The scientists
came up with this prediction using the information available and a mathematical
model. Like any other prediction, this forecast of the UP scientist may not be perfect.
The actual cases may be higher or lower than this on the predicted date.
 1 | Mathematics in the Modern World 12

Similarly, mathematics can also be used to predict the world population. On

June 17, 2019, the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs released
a report that the world population is expected to increase from the current 7.7 billion
to 9.7 billion in 30 years. Below is the formula that can be used to predict a population
growth.

The formula for exponential growth is:

A = Pert
Where:
A is the size of the population after it grows
P is the initial number of people
r is the rate of growth, and
t is the time

e is the Euler’s constant with an approximate value of 2.718. (But it is

advised that when you use a scientific calculator during computation,
you should key in the “e” instead of the number 2.718 for a more
accurate result.)

Let’s try some examples applying this formula.

Example 1.2.3a: The exponential growth model A = 30e0.02t describes the population of
a city in the Philippines in thousands, t years after 1995.
a. What was the population of the city in 1995?
b. What will be the population in 2017?
Solution:
a. Since the exponential growth model describes the population t years after 1995, we
consider 1995 as t = 0. By substitution,
A = 30e0.02t
A = 30(2.718)(0.02)(0)
= 30(2.718)0
= 30(1) 2.7180 = 1
= 30
 Therefore, the population of the city in 1995 was 30,000.
b. For us to find the population of a city for the year 2017, we subtract 2017 and 1995
to get the t = 22. By substitution,
A = 30e0.02t
= 30(2.718)(0.02)(22)
= 30(2.718)0.44
= 30(1.55271)
= 46.5813
 Therefore, the population of the city in 2017 would be 46,581.
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Practice 1.2.3a: The exponential growth model A = 50e0.07t describes the population of
a city in the Philippines in thousands, t years after 1997.
a. What is the population after 20 years?
b. What is the population in 2037?

1.3. References

Aufmann, R.N., Lockwood, J.S., Nation R.D., Clegg, D.K., and Epp, S.S. (2018).
Mathematics in the Modern World. Philippine Edition. Sampaloc, Manila:
Rex Books Store, Inc.

Quintos, R. T. et al. (2019). Mathematics in the Modern World. Plaridel, Bulacan:

St. Andrew Publishing House.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population

Division. (2019, June 17). United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs News. Retrieved from United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs: un.org/development/desa/en/news.html

University of the Philippines. (2020, July 23). University of the Philippines

Research and Breakthroughs. Retrieved from University of the Philippines
Website: https://www.up.edu.ph/covid-19-forecasts-in-the-philippines-ncr-cebu-
and-covid-19-hotspots-as-of-july-10-2020/

1.4. Acknowledgment

The images, tables, figures and information contained in this module

were taken from the references cited above.