MATHEMATICS in our WORLD

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 Lesson Objectives
➢ To identify patterns in nature and regularities in
the world

➢ To cite examples of some applications of

mathematics in our everyday lives.

➢ To define the meanings of the different

mathematical patterns applied to our daily lives.
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A. Nature of Mathematics

What is Mathematics?
- The word mathematics comes from the
Greek word “máthēma” (noun) which means
"learning”.
- Mathematics is the science of quantity.
(Aristotle)
- Mathematics is the language in which god
has written in the universe. (Galileo)

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B. Patterns in Nature

PATTERN
• the regular or repeated way in which
something happens or is done.
• an organized arrangement of objects in
space or time

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B. Patterns in Nature

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B. Patterns in Nature
Symmetry - when a shape looks identical to
its original shape after being
flipped or turned.

Fig 1a. The tiger’s

face shows a Fig 1b. The pomelo shows
bilateral symmetry a radial symmetry
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B. Patterns in Nature
Symmetry - when a shape looks identical to
its original shape after being
flipped or turned.

A typical snowflake has a

The starfish shows a
beautiful six-sided symmetry. fivefold symmetry
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B. Patterns in Nature
Crack - linear openings that form in materials to
relieve stress.

Fig 2. Palm
trunk with
branching
vertical crack

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B. Patterns in Nature

Tessellation is a tiling pattern of polygons that

covers a flat surface with no gaps or
overlaps

Fig 3a. Honeycomb is a

natural tessellation Fig 3a. Snake’s scales is
also a tessellation 9
B. Patterns in Nature
Fractal - object exhibits self-similar shape or form
at any scale and repeat itself overtime.

Fig 4. Branching 10
pattern of a tree
B. Patterns in Nature
Spiral - shapes that wind in a gradually or
tightening manner.

Fig 5a. Phyllotaxis of

Fig 5b. snail shell
spiral aloe

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B. Patterns in Nature

Fig 6. Stripes of a zebra

Fig 7. Spots of a leopard

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B. Patterns in Nature

The DNA

Fig 8. Foam of soap bubbles 13

B. Patterns in Nature

Cycle of Seasons
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B. Patterns in Nature

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B. Patterns in Nature

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B. Patterns in Nature

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B. Patterns in Nature

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B. Patterns in Nature

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B. Patterns in Nature

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B. Patterns in Nature

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B. Patterns in Nature

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C. Numbers in Nature

The Snail

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The Fibonacci Sequence

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 The following figure shows the numbers of pairs of rabbits on the
first day of each of the first six months. The larger rabbits represent
mature rabbits that produce another pair of rabbits each month.

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Fibonacci in Nature
Fibonacci in Plants
Petals of flowers
Flowers Number of Petals
Calla Lily 1
Lilies 3
Buttercups 5
Delphiniums 8
Marigolds 13
Asters 21
Daisies 34, 55, 89
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 Fibonacci in Nature

The Sunflower - seed patterns of sunflower

All the sunflowers in the world show a number

of spirals that are within the Fibonacci sequence
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 Fibonacci in Nature

Fibonacci in Sunflower

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 Fibonacci in Nature

Rose - The number of petals consistently

follows the Fibonacci sequence and it has
13 – 21 petals.

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 Fibonacci in Nature

Pineapple - have spirals formed by their

hexagonal nubs.

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 Fibonacci in Nature
Pinecone - number of spirals going from the
center of the cone (where it attached
to the tree) to the outside edge.

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 Fibonacci in Nature
Fibonacci in Fruits
Inside the fruit of many plants we can observe the
presence of Fibonacci order.

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 Fibonacci in Nature
Fibonacci in Animals
The shell of the chambered Nautilus
has Golden proportions. It is a
logarithmic spiral.

The eyes, fins and tail of the

dolphin fall at golden sections
along the body.

A starfish has 5 arms.

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The Fibonacci Sequence

• A recursive definition for a sequence is

one in which each successive term of the
sequence is defined by using some of the
preceding terms.

𝐅𝟏 = 𝟏, 𝐅𝟐 = 𝟏, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧
𝐅𝐧 = 𝐅𝐧−𝟏 + 𝐅𝐧−𝟐 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧 ≥ 𝟑.

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Binet’s Formula
• The following formula is known as Binet’s formula for
the nth Fibonacci number.
𝐧 𝐧
𝟏 𝟏+ 𝟓 𝟏− 𝟓
𝐅𝐧 = −
𝟓 𝟐 𝟐

The advantage of this formula over the recursive

formula 𝐅𝐧 = 𝐅𝐧−𝟏 + 𝐅𝐧−𝟐
is that you can determine the nth Fibonacci number
without finding the two preceding Fibonacci numbers.
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 The GOLDEN RATIO
• In Mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in a
golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of
their sum to the larger of the two quantities.

a+b
𝒂 𝒂+𝒃
In symbols, a and b, where a > b> 0, are in a golden ratio if =
𝒃 𝒂
The golden ratio is often symbolized by the Greek letter 𝜑. It is the
𝟏+ 𝟓
number 𝝋=1.61803… or the irrational number .
𝟐
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 The GOLDEN RATIO

• Fibonacci appear in many places, the golden

ratio does too.
• In art, architecture, music, and nature.
• Many buildings and artworks follow the
Golden ratio. Leonardo da Vinci has
incorporated geometry in many of his
paintings, with the ratio just being one of his
many mathematical tools.

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 The GOLDEN RATIO
Wave - is a disturbance of a field in which a physical
attribute oscillates repeatedly at each point or
propagates from each point to neighbouring
points, or seems to move through space. It is
a represent of the golden ratio.

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 The GOLDEN RATIO
Seahorse - The Seahorse glyph has the Fibonacci
spiral on its side, the spiral itself is
contained inside a visual representation
of the golden ratio. The tail is also a
Fibonacci spiral.

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Mathematics Helps Organize Patterns and
Regularities in the World

• Patterns have underlying

mathematical structures
• Every living or nonliving thing in the
world may seem to follow a certain
pattern on their own.
• The mystery of Fibonacci sequence
and the golden ratio as common
patterns in nature.
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Mathematics Helps Predict the Behavior of
Nature and the World
• Mathematics help predict the location, size and
timing of natural disasters
• Made possible by the study of fractals.
A fractal is a mathematical formula of a pattern
that repeats over a wide range of size and time scales.
These patterns are hidden within more complex
systems.
❑Benoit Mandelbrot is the father of fractals, who
described how he has been using fractals to find
order within the complex systems in nature, such as
the shape of coastlines.
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Mathematics Has Numerous Applications
in the World Making it Indispensable

• Mathematics helps you build things

• Mathematics is helpful in managing financial
matters

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REFERENCES

❑Essential Mathematics for the Modern World by

Nocon and Nocon
❑Nature’s Numbers by Ian Stewart
• Video clip: https://vimeo.com/9953368
• Mathematical Excursions (Ch. 1) by R. Aufmann , et
al.

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