POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Engineering Department
LOPEZ, QUEZON BRANCH

INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS
FOR

MATHEMATICS IN THE
MODERN WORLD

Compiled by:

MAY ANNE F. ARAZA-ORGETA, LPT, MAEd

Instructor

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 Lesson
1 MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD

OVERVIEW

As rational creatures, we tend to identify and follow patterns, whether consciously or

subconsciously. Recognizing patterns feels natural, like our brain is hardwired to recognize them.
Early humans recognized the repeating interval of day and night, the cycle of the moon, the rising
and falling of tides, and the changing of seasons. Awareness of these patterns allowed humans
to survive. In a similar fashion, many flora and fauna also follow certain patterns such as the
arrangement of leaves and stems in a plant, the flower’s petals, or even the shape of a snail’s
shell.
Do you also notice patterns around you? What other examples can you think of?
In this module, you will be looking at patterns and regularities in the world, and how
Mathematics comes into play, both in nature and in human endeavors.
Watch a documentary entitled The Great Math Mystery using the link
https://tinyurl.com/GreatMathMystery and discover how Mathematics works in our brains as well
as the ultimate mystery of why it works so well when decoding the secret of patterns in the
universe.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
After successful completion of this module, you should be able to:
1. identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world,
2. articulate importance of Mathematics in one’s life,
3. argue about the nature of Mathematics, what it is, how it is expressed, represented and
used; and
4. express appreciation for Mathematics as a human endeavor.

COURSE MATERIALS

LESSON 1.1: Patterns and Numbers in Nature

Mathematics is the study of pattern and structure. Many patterns and occurrences exist in
nature, in our world, in our life, and Mathematics helps make sense of these patterns and
occurrences.
In the general sense, patterns are regular, repeated, or recurring forms or designs. It
indicates a sense of structure and organization that it seems humans are capable of producing

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these intricate, creative, and amazing formations. It is from this perspective that some people see
an intelligent design in the way that nature forms.
In nature, patterns are visible regularities of form found in the natural world and can also
be seen in the universe. As we discover more about our environment, we can mathematically
describe nature. The beauty of a flower, the majestic tree, even the rock formation exhibits
nature's sense of symmetry.
Have you ever thought about how nature likes to arrange itself in patterns in order to act
efficiently? Nothing in nature happens without a reason. All of these patterns have an important
reason to exist and they also happen to be beautiful to watch.
Some examples of patterns in nature are the following:

© ThoughtCo
1. The patterns of stars seen in the sky are usually called
constellations, although more accurately, a group of stars
that forms a pattern in the sky is called an asterism.

2. Another marvel of nature’s design is the structure and shape of a honeycomb.

People have long wondered how bees, despite their
very small size, are able to produce such arrangements
© Science Friday

while humans would generally need the use of a ruler and

compass to accomplish the same feat.

3. Patterns can be seen in fish patterns like

spotted trunkfish, spotted puffer,

© Istanbul Akvaryum
blue spotted stingray, spotted moral
© Sea and Sky

eel, coral grouper, red lionfish, yellow

boxfish and angel fish. These
animals and fish stripes and spots
attest to mathematical regularities in
biological growth and form.
4. Patterns are also exhibited in the external
appearances of animals. Zebras, tigers, cats
© OneKindPlanet

and snakes are covered in patterns of

© Fact Site

stripes; leopards and hyenas are covered in

pattern of spots and giraffes are covered in
pattern of blotches.

5. Looking at a sunflower up close, you will notice that there

©Encyclopædia Britannica,

is a definite pattern of clockwise and counterclockwise

arcs or spirals extending outward from the center of the
flower. This is another demonstration of how nature
works to optimize the available space. This arrangement
allows sunflower seeds to occupy the flower head in a
way that maximizes their access to light and
Inc.

necessary nutrients.

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 The patterns can sometimes be modeled mathematically and they include symmetries,
fractals, spirals, meanders, waves, foams, tessellations, cracks, stripes and spots.

Types of Patterns

1. Symmetry — a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion of balance or an object is

invariant to any various transformations (reflection, rotation or scaling.)
a. Bilateral Symmetry - a symmetry in which the left and right sides of the organism
can be divided into approximately mirror image of each other along the midline.
Symmetry exists in living things such as in insects, animals, plants, flowers and
others. Animals have mainly bilateral or vertical symmetry, even leaves of plants
and some flowers such as orchids.

b. Radial Symmetry (or rotational symmetry) - a symmetry around a fixed point known
as the center and it can be classified as either cyclic or dihedral. Plants often have
radial or rotational symmetry, as to flowers and some group of animals. A five-fold
symmetry is found in the echinoderms, the group in which includes starfish
(dihedral-D5 symmetry), sea urchins and sea lilies. Radial symmetry suits
organism like sea anemones and jellyfish. Radial symmetry is also evident in
different kinds of flowers.

Threefold Symmetry Fourfold Symmetry Fivefold Symmetry Fivefold Symmetry Sixfold Symmetry Radial Symmetry

2. Fractals — a curve or geometric figure, each part of which has the same statistical
character as the whole. A fractal is a never-ending pattern found in nature. The exact
same shape is replicated in a process called "self-similarity." The pattern repeats itself
over and over again at different scales. For example, a tree grows by repetitive branching.
This same kind of branching can be seen in lightning bolts and the veins in your body.
Examine a single fern or an aerial view of an entire river system and you'll see fractal
patterns.

3. Spirals — a curved pattern that focuses on a center point and a series of circular shapes
that revolve around it. A logarithmic spiral or growth spiral is a self-similar spiral curve
which often appears in nature. It was first described by Rene Descartes and was later
investigated by Jacob Bernoulli. Examples of spirals are pine cones, snails, and

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 hurricanes. The reason for why plants use a spiral form is because they are constantly
trying to grow but stay secure.

4. Meanders — sinuous bends in rivers or other channels, which form as a fluid, most often
water, flows around bends.

5. Waves — disturbances that carry energy as they move. Mechanical waves propagate
through a medium – air or water, making it oscillate as they pass by. Wind waves are sea
surface waves that create the characteristic chaotic pattern of any large body of water,
though their statistical behavior can be predicted with wind wave models. As waves in
water or wind pass over sand, they create patterns of ripples. When winds blow over large
bodies of sand, they create dunes, sometimes in extensive dune fields as in the
Taklamakan desert.

6. Foams — a mass of bubbles; foams of different materials occur in nature. Foams

composed of soap films obey Plateau’s laws, which require three soap films to meet at
each edge at 120° and four soap edges to meet at each vertex at the tetrahedral angle of
about 109.5°.

7. Tessellations — patterns formed by repeating tiles all over a flat surface. There are 17
wallpaper groups of tiling. While common in art and design, exactly repeating tiling is less
easy to find in living things.

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 8. Cracks — linear openings that form in materials to relieve stress. When an elastic material
stretches or shrinks uniformly, it eventually reaches its breaking strength and then fails
suddenly in all directions, creating cracks with 120-degree joints, so three cracks meet at
a node. Conversely, when an inelastic material fails, straight cracks form to relieve the
stress. Further stress in the same direction would then simply open the existing cracks;
stress at right angles can create new cracks, at 90 degrees to the old ones. Thus, the
pattern of cracks indicates whether the material is elastic or not.

9. Stripes and Spots — Stripes and spots are commonly seen in nature. Stripes are group
of lines or bands that differ in color or tone from an adjacent area. Spots are small, usually
round area of color that are differently colored or lighter or darker than the surface around
them. Leopards and ladybirds are spotted; angelfish and zebras are striped. These
patterns have an evolutionary explanation: they have functions which increase the
chances that the offspring of the patterned animal will survive to reproduce. One function
of animal patterns is camouflage; for instance, a leopard that is harder to see catches
more prey. Another function is signaling — for instance, a ladybird is less likely to be
attacked by predatory birds that hunt by sight, if it has bold warning colors, and is also
distastefully bitter or poisonous, or mimics other distasteful insects. A young bird may see
a warning patterned insect like a ladybird and try to eat it, but it will only do this once; very
soon it will spit out the bitter insect; the other ladybirds in the area will remain unmolested.
The young leopards and ladybirds, inheriting genes that somehow create spots, survive.
But while these evolutionary and functional arguments explain why these animals need
their patterns, they do not explain how the patterns are formed.

LESSON 1.2: The Fibonacci Sequence

As we have seen in the previous lesson, the human mind is hardwired to recognize
patterns. In Mathematics, we can generate patterns by performing one or several mathematical
operations repeatedly.
Suppose we chose the number 3 as the first number in our pattern. We then choose to
add 5 to our first number, resulting in 8, which is our second number. Repeating this process, we
obtain 13, 18, 23, 28, … as the succeeding numbers that form our pattern. In Mathematics, we
call these ordered lists of numbers a sequence.

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 There are different types of sequences. One of these is the Fibonacci sequence.

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where a number is found by adding up the
two numbers before it. Starting with 0 and 1, the sequence goes 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,
34, and so forth.
Written as a rule, the expression is
𝐹𝑛 = 𝐹𝑛−1 + 𝐹𝑛−2 for n > 1.

Fibonacci sequence is named after the Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, who was
better known by his nickname Fibonacci. He is said to have discovered this sequence as he
looked at how a hypothesized group of rabbits bred and reproduced. This problem involved having
a single pair of rabbits and then finding out how many pairs of rabbits will be born in a year, with
the assumption that a new pair of rabbits is born each month and this new pair, in turn, gives birth
to additional pairs of rabbits beginning at two months after they were born. He noted that that the
set of numbers generated form this problem could be extended by getting the sum of the two
previous terms.
The following figure shows the number pairs of rabbits on the first day of the first five
months. The number of pairs - 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 - are the first six terms of the Fibonacci sequence.

Fibonacci sequence has many interesting properties. Among these is that this pattern is
very visible in nature. Some of nature’s most beautiful patterns, like the spiral arrangement of
sunflower seeds, the number of petals in a flower, and the shape of a snail’s shell – the things
that we looked at earlier in this lesson – all contain Fibonacci numbers. It is also interesting to
note that the ratios of successive Fibonacci numbers approach the number (Phi), also known
as the Golden Ratio. This is approximately equal to 1.618.
Watch a video using the link https://tinyurl.com/FibonacciGoldenRatio to discover more
about Fibonacci sequence and Golden Ratio.

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 LESSON 1.3: Applications of Mathematics in our World

According to Katie Kin (2015), Mathematics is the subject that makes students either jump
for joy or rip their hair out. However, math is inescapable as you become an adult in the real world.
From calculating complicated algorithms to counting down the days till the next game of thrones
episode, Mathematics is versatile and important, no matter this list of reasons why learning math
is important to you and the world.
The following are some applications of Mathematics in our world:
1. Restaurant Tipping
After you have finished eating at a restaurant, it is common courtesy to pay your waiter a generous
tip. You need to have the most basic math skills to calculate how much 15% or 20% tip would be.
Tipping your waiter shows your appreciation for his service and ultimately benefits the restaurant,
too.
2. Netflix film viewing
Let’s say you have approximately one hour until you have to leave to go somewhere very
important, like your job or your grandmother’s birthday party. You really want to fit in a couple
Netflix episode before you leave, but you don’t know how many you will be able to watch. You
need Math to figure that out! For example, an episode of Friends on Netflix is about 20 minutes.
just you made your hour 100 times better.
3. Calculating Bills
If you aren’t already, we will be all home-owners and car owners one day. With ownership comes
the major responsibility of staying on top of mandatory payments and subtract them from your
savings.
4. Computing Test Scores
It is towards the end of May, and for all high school students, the school year is coming to an end
very soon. That also means final report cards will be coming out. In order to finish with an excellent
grade in that tough class, you need to know what you get on the next test to keep your average
up. You need math to calculate the test score (and maybe even to ace the test) to know what your
final grade can be.
5. Tracking career
Mathematics is needed for almost every single profession in the world. If you want to be a CEO,
a real estate agent, a biologist, or even a rocket scientist, it is without a doubt that number will be
utilized. Basically, you will NEVER be able to escape Math and you might as well accept it and
fun learning it while your career does not depend on it.
6. Doing Exercise
Getting in shape and staying fit means achieving your health goals! Maybe you want to meet your
personal goal by the end of the month. You need math to know how many more reps to curl, or
how many seconds to cut off your mile time, or how many pounds to lose to achieve that goal.

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7. Handling money
Another aspect on growing up into a young adult is opening and managing a bank account. It is
important to be accurate in Math to care for your precious savings, making sure there are no
mistakes.
8. Making Countdowns
For many, this will be the most important reason on this list to know math: so, you can countdown
the days until school is over and summer starts!
9. Baking and Cooking
Baking and cooking are hobbies enjoyed by many. In order to prevent unexpected result, you
have to know the difference between a quarter of a cup from a quarter of a tea spoon. Baking +
cooking = fraction = math!
10. Surfing Internet
Ultimately, without Math, how would you be reading the article online at this exact moment? How
would you be able to tweet to your friends or post in Instagram from last night? We have math to
thank for establishing technology and the social media that consume our lives.
The Role of Mathematics in Some Disciplines
Mathematics is offered in any college course. It is found in every curriculum because its
theories and applications are needed in any workplace. That’s why students can’t stay away from
attending math classes. There has to be mathematics in the real world. This subjects always
brings life to any person or professional. Every second of the day needs mathematical knowledge
and skills to perform academic activities and office routines. If ordinary people have to use math,
then much more for students to know and master it so they will succeed in the class in the school.
As posted by Angel Rathnabai (2014), Mathematics is not only number work or
computation, but is more about forming generalization, seeing relationships, and developing
logical thinking and reasoning.
Here are some main disciplines in which the role of Mathematics is widely accepted:
1. Mathematics in Physical Sciences
In physics, every rule principle takes the mathematical form ultimately. Mathematics gives a final
shape to the rules of physics. It presents them in a workable form. Mathematical calculation occurs
at every step in physics.
2. Mathematics in Chemistry
Mathematics is extremely important in physical chemistry especially in advanced topics such as
quantum or statistical mechanics. Quantum relies heavily on group theory and linear algebra
requires knowledge of mathematical/physics topics such as Hilbert spaces and Hamiltonian
operators.
3. Mathematics in Biological Science
Biomathematics is a rich fertile with open, challenging and fascination problems in the areas of
mathematical genetics, mathematical ecology, mathematical neuron – physiology, development
of computer software for special biological and medical problem, mathematical theory of
epidemics, use of mathematical programming and reliability theory in bioscience and
mathematical problem in biomechanics, bioengineering and bioelectronics.

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4. Mathematics in Engineering and Technology
The use of Mathematics in engineering is very well known. It is considered to be the foundation
of engineering. Engineering deals surveying, leveling, designing, estimating, construction, etc. in
all these process, application of math is very important.
5. Mathematics and Agriculture
Agriculture as a science depends extensively on mathematics. It needs a direct application of
mathematics, such as measurement of land or area, average investment and expenditure,
average return or income, production per unit area cost of labor, time and work, seed rate etc.
progress of the farm can be judged by drawing graphs of different item of production.
6. Mathematics and Economics
The level of Mathematics literacy required for personal and social activities is continually
increasing. Mastery of fundamentals process is necessary for clear thinking. The social sciences
are also beginning to draw heavily upon Mathematics.
7. Mathematics and Psychology
The great educationist Herbart said, “It is not possible, but necessary that Mathematics be applied
to psychology”. Now, experimental psychology has become highly mathematics due to its concern
with such factors as intelligence quotient, standard deviation, mean, median, mode, correlation
coefficients and probable errors.
8. Mathematics and Actual Science, Insurance and Finance
Actuaries use mathematics and statistics to make financial sense of the future. For example, if
an organization embarks on a large project, an actuary may analyze the project, assess the
financial risk involved, model the future financial outcomes and advise the organization on the
decisions to be made.
9. Mathematics and Archaeology
Archaeologist use a variety of mathematical and statistical technique to present the data from
archaeological surveys and try to distinguish pattern in their results that shed light on past human
behavior. Statistical measures are used during excavation to monitor which pits are most
successful and decide on further excavation.
10. Mathematics and Logic
D’ Alembert says “Geometry is a practical logic, because in it, rules of reasoning are applied in
the simplest and sensible manner”. Pascal’s says, “Logic has borrowed the rules of geometry;
the method to avoiding error is sought by everyone.
11. Mathematics in Music
Leibniz, the great mathematicians said, “Music is a hidden exercise in arithmetic of a mind
unconscious of dealing with numbers”. Pythagoras said – “where harmony is, there are numbers”.
Calculations are the root of all sorts of advancement in different disciplines. The rhythm that we
find in all music notes is the result of innumerable permutations and combination of Saptswar.
12. Mathematics in Arts
Mathematics and the art are just two different languages that can be used to express the same
ideas. It is considered that the universe is written in the language of Mathematics, and its
characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures. The old Goethe Architecture was

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based on geometry. Even Egyptian Pyramids, the greatest feat of human architecture and
engineering, was based on Mathematics.

13. Mathematics in Philosophy

The function of mathematics in the development of philosophical thought has been very aptly put
by the great educationist Herbart, in his words, “The real finisher of our education is Philosophy.”
But it is the office of Mathematics to ward off the danger of philosophy.”
14. Mathematics in Social Networks
Graph theory, text analysis, multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis, and a variety of special
models are some mathematical technique used in analyzing data on a variety of social networks.
15. Mathematics in Political Science
In mathematical Political Science, we analyze past election results see charges in voting patterns
and the influence of various factors on voting behavior, on switching of votes among political
parties and mathematical models for conflict resolution.
16. Mathematical in Linguistics
The concepts of structure and transformation are as important for linguistic as they are for
mathematics. Development of machine language and comparison with natural and artificial
language require a high degree of mathematical ability.
17. Mathematics in Management
Mathematics in management is a great challenge to imaginative minds. It is not meant for the
routine thinkers. Different mathematical models are being used to discuss management problems
of hospitals, public health, pollution, educational planning and administration and similar other
problem of social decisions.
18. Mathematical in Computers
An important area of application of Mathematics is in the development of formal mathematical
theories related to the development of computer science. Now most applications of Mathematics
to science and technologies today are via computers.
19. Mathematics in Geography
Geography is nothing but a scientific and mathematical description of our earth in its universe.
The dimension and magnitude of earth, its situation and position of the universe the formation of
days and nights, lunar and solar eclipse, latitude and longitude, maximum and minimum rainfall,
etc.

In this module, it was highlighted how Mathematics plays a huge role in the underpinnings
of our world. We have seen it in living creatures and natural phenomena. We have also looked at
examples of how mathematical concepts could be applied. Whether you are on your way to
becoming a doctor, an engineer, an entrepreneur, or a chef, a knowledge of Mathematics will be
helpful. At the most basic level, logical reasoning and critical thinking are crucial skills that are
needed in any endeavor. As such, the study of Mathematics should be embraced as it paves the
way for more educated decisions in a way, brings us closer to understanding the natural world.

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 ACTIVITY
Write an essay by answering the guide questions below.
• What new ideas about Mathematics did you learn?
• What is it about Mathematics that might have changed your thoughts about it?
• What is most useful about Mathematics for human kind?

Your essay will be graded based on this rubric.

Criteria 4 3 2 1 Score
Organization Overall unity of Writing is coherent Writing is coherent Writing lacks logical
ideas is present. and logically and logically organization. It
Writing shows high organized with organized. Some shows some
degree of attention transitions used points remain coherence but ideas
to logic and reasoning between ideas and misplaced and stray lack
of points. Unity clearly paragraphs to create from the topic. unity. Serious
leads the reader to the coherence. Transitions evident errors.
conclusion and stirs but not used
thought regarding throughout essay.
the topic.
Content Content indicates that Content indicates Content indicates Content indicates
the student not only that the student was that the student was that the student was
elicits the ideas and able to elicit the able to elicit the unable to elicit the
concepts from the ideas and concepts ideas and concepts ideas concepts from
readings and video, from the readings from the readings the readings and
but also shows and video and and video but shows video showing that
evidence of shows correct some erroneous s/he has not read
internalizing these. understanding of understanding of the prescribed
these. these. reading or watched
the video.
Focus There is one clear and There is one clear There is one topic. The topic and main
well-focused topic. and well-focused Main ideas are ideas are not clear.
Main ideas are clear topic. Main ideas are somewhat clear.
and are well- clear but are not
supported by detailed well-supported by
and accurate detailed information.
information.
Originality The essay shows a The essay shows The essay shows The essay is just a
great deal of some originality and little independent synthesis of the
originality and independent insight. insight and course material and
independent insight. originality. does not show
independent insight
and originality.
Grammar and All sentences are well- Most sentences are Most sentences are Sentences sound
Mechanics constructed and have well- constructed well-constructed, but awkward, are
varied structure and and have varied they have a similar distractingly
length. Essay is free structure and length. structure and/or repetitive, or are
of distracting spelling, Essay has few length. Essay has difficult to
punctuation, and errors in grammar, several errors in understand. Essay
grammatical errors. mechanics, and/or grammar, has numerous
spelling, but they do mechanics, and/or errors in grammar,
not interfere with spelling that interfere mechanics,
understanding. with understanding. and/or spelling
that interfere with
understanding.
TOTAL POINTS ___ /20

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