Republic of the Philippines

CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY

Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: [email protected]
Module 1 : The Nature of Mathematics

Course Title : Mathematics in the Modern World

Course Number : GE - 104

Course Description : Nature of mathematics, appreciation of its practical,

intellectual, and aesthetic dimensions, and application of mathematical tools in
daily life.

Total Learning Time : 3 units (3 hours lecture per week)

Pre-requisites : None

Overview:

An introduction to the nature of mathematics as an exploration of patterns. The meaning and

importance of mathematics in our daily life and in our world. To know the different patterns in number
and in nature.

Learning Outcomes:

After completing this course, the student must be able to:

1. To identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world.
2. To articulate importance of mathematics in one’s life.
3. To argue about the nature of mathematics, what it is, how it
is expressed, represented, and used.
4. Express appreciation of mathematics as a human endeavor.

Discussion
What is Mathematics?
 Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: [email protected]
To the untrained eye, doing mathematics is quite difficult and challenging. It is ambiguous, for it follows
a set of patterns, formulas, and sequences that make it more demanding to do and to learn. It is all forming new
ways to see problems so we can understand them by combining insights with imagination. It is our whole new
way to see and understand the modern world.
The word máthēma is derived from ‘manthano’, while the modern Greek equivalent is ‘mathaino’, both
of which mean "to learn". Mathematics is not just all about numbers but also letters and symbols. The study of
the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols their
operations, interrelations, combinations, generalizations, transformations and abstractions.
Mathematics exists everywhere, immensely useful, practical, and powerful. It is applied from the
simplest to the most complex activities or problem we encounter in our daily lives. For instances like paying for
our bills, medicines, measuring the right amount of ingredients needed in cooking, constructing houses,
buildings and bridges and etc.
Mathematics is a way of thinking. Doing and performing mathematics is not that simple. It is done with
curiosity, with a penchant for seeking patterns and generalities, with a desire to know the truth, with trial and
error, and without fear of facing more questions and problems to solve.

Importance of Mathematics.
Why do we want to observe and describe patterns and regularities? Why do we want to understand the
physical phenomena governing our world? Why do we want to dig out rules and structures that lie behind
patterns of the natural order? It is because those rules, patterns and structures explain what is going on. It is
because they are beneficial in generating conclusions and in predicting events. It gives us a way to understand
the world, to quantify relationships, and to predict the future.

Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

Mathematics follows a set of patterns. So what are these patterns. A pattern is a structure, form, or
design that is regular, consistent, or repeated. Patterns can be found in nature, in human-made designs, or in
abstract ideas. They occur in different contexts and various forms. (example: building, tiles, tie of shoelace)
Because patterns are repetitive and duplicative, their underlying structure regularities can be modelled
mathematically. In general sense, any regularity that can be explained mathematically is a pattern. Thus,
studying the patterns helps student identify relationships and find logical connections to form generalization and
prediction.

Different Kinds of Patterns

1. Pattern of Visual
Visual patterns is a kind of pattern which consists of a series of shapes that are typically
repeated. These are regularities in the natural world that are repeated in a predictable manner.
Geometrical patterns are usually visible on cacti and succulents.
 Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: [email protected]

2. Patterns of Flow
The flow of liquids provides an inexhaustible supply of nature’s patterns. Patterns of flow are
usually found in the water, stone, and even in the growth of trees. There is also a flow pattern present in
meandering rivers with the repetition of undulating lines.

3. Patterns of movement
In the human walk, the feet strike the ground in a regular rhythm: the left-right-left-right-left
rhythm. When a horse, a four-legged creature walks, there is more of a complex but equally rhythmic
pattern.

4. Patterns of Flow
Rhythm is conceivably the most basic pattern in nature. Our hearts and lungs follow a regular
repeated pattern of sounds or movement whose timing is adapted to our body’s needs. Many of nature’s
rhythms are most likely similar to a heartbeat, while others are like breathing. The beating of the heart,
as well as breathing, have a default pattern.

Patterns in Nature

Waves and Dunes - A wave is any form of disturbance that carries energy as it moves. Waves are of different
kinds. Wind waves are surface waves that create the chaotic patterns of the sea. Similarly, water waves are
created by energy passing through water causing it to move in a circular motion. Likewise, ripple patterns and
dunes are formed by sand wind as they pass over the sand.

Spots and
Stripes - Stripes are made by a series of bands or strips, often of the same width and color along the length.
 Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: [email protected]
Symmetry - Symmetry is defined as a proportionate and balanced similarity that is found in two halves of an
object
Reflection symmetry, sometimes called line symmetry or mirror symmetry, captures symmetries when
the left half of a pattern is the same as the right half.

Rotations, also known as rotational symmetry, captures

symmetries when it still looks the same after some rotation (of less than one full turn). The degree of rotational
symmetry of an object is recognized by the number of distinct orientations in which it looks the same for each
rotation.

Spiral - the path of a point in a plane moving around a central point while continuously receding from or
approaching it
 Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: [email protected]

NUMBER PATTERNS
A number pattern is a list or set of numbers that follow a certain sequence or arrangement in either
ascending or descending order. Sequence refers to an ordered list of numbers called terms. 1 ST term, second term,
third term.

1. Arithmetic Sequence - An arithmetic sequence is made by adding or subtracting the same value each
time. The value added or subtracted is called the common difference.

a n= a 1 ± (n-1)d

a1 = first term
d = common difference = a2 – a1
Example: Find the 16th term of the sequence
2, 10, 18, 26, 34, 42, 50, 58…
d = 10 – 2 = 8 (common difference)
2. Geometric Sequence - A geometric sequence is a list of numbers that are multiplied (or divided) by the
same amount. The amount by which the numbers are multiplied is known as the common ratio.

a n= a 1( r (n−1) )

a2
r = common ratio =
a1
3. Triangular Numbers - The terms of a triangular sequence are related to the number of dots needed to
create a triangle. By adding another row of dots and counting all the dots we can find the next number of
the sequence.
 Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: [email protected]
4. Fibonacci Sequence - The Fibonacci sequence was developed by the Italian mathematician, Leonardo
Bigollo Pisano or Leonardo of Pisa, in the 13th century. The sequence of numbers, starting with zero and
one, is a steadily increasing series where each number is equal to the sum of the preceding two numbers.

The beginning of the sequence is thus: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144,….

Golden Ratio (Φ) = 1. 618

The amazing grandeur of Fibonacci sequence was also discovered in the structure of Golden rectangle. The
golden rectangle is made up of squares whose sizes, surprisingly is also behaving similar to the Fibonacci
sequence. Take a serious look at the figure:

It follows turns by a constant angle close to the

golden ratio and is commonly called the golden spiral.
 Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: [email protected]
Formula of Fibonacci Sequence
Fn = Fn-1 + Fn-2
Using the Golden ratio:

Sum of Fibonacci Sequence:

Sn = F(n+2) – F2

Exercises:
1. Find the next term in the sequence below.
31, 24, 17, 10,…
2. Find the next three terms in the sequence below.
7, 15, 23, 31,…
3. Find the seventh term (7th) in the sequence below.
3 5 1 3 1
, , , , ,…
4 8 2 8 4
4. Find the sum of the first 8 terms of an arithmetic sequence, where the first term is 4 and the 8th term is
25.
5. Find the next term in the geometric sequence: 4, 8, 16, 32, ?.
6. Find the term 12 in the geometric sequence: 5, 15, 45, 135, …
7. Find the sum of the first four terms of a geometric sequence that has a first term equal to 1 and a
1
common ratio equal to .
4
8. 8 is the sixth term in the sequence. Find the seventh term.
9. Find the 11th term of the Fibonacci series if the 9th and 10th terms are 34 and 55 respectively.
10. Find the sum of the first 6 Fibonacci terms.
 Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Fuentes Drive, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines
Tel. No. (036) 6214-578 fax No. (036) 6214-578
website: www.capsu.edu.ph email address: [email protected]