Math in the Modern World 2.

Spiral
• Spiral is a curved pattern that focuses on a center point and a
series of circular shapes that revolve around it.
Chapter 1: The Nature of Mathematics
• Examples: pineapples, pine cones, and hurricanes.
“Mathematics is the language with which God wrote the
universe.” - Galileo Galilei
The emergence of digital technology has sparked a
monumental rise in the rate at which we consume and produce
data.

Patterns
• The reason for why plants use a spiral form because they are
• Patterns are regular, repeated, or recurring forms or designs.
constantly trying to grow but stay secure. A spiral shape
• Examples: Layout of floor tiles, designs of buildings, and the causes plants to condense themselves and not take up as much
way we tie our shoelaces. space, causing it to be stronger and more durable against the
• Patterns helps us in predictions, reasoning, decision-making. elements.

3. Fractal
Types of Patterns • Fractal is a detailed pattern that looks similar at any scale and
repeats itself over time. A fractal’s pattern gets more complex
1. Symmetry as you observe it at larger scales.
• Symmetry indicates that you can draw an imaginary line • Examples: fern, lightning, and trees branching.
across an object and the resulting parts are mirror images of
each other.
• Examples: butterfly, Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, and
starfish.
 4. Tessellation 3. Honeycomb
• Tessellation is a repeating pattern of polygons that covers a • The formation enables the bee
flat surface with no gaps or overlaps. colony to maximize their storage
• Examples: turtle and honeycomb. of honey using the smallest
amount of wax.
• The spots are hexagonal to
optimize the use of available
space.

4. Animal Prints

Natural Patterns
1. The Sunflower

• The arrangement of sunflower seed:

- optimize space
- maximize the access of each seed to light and necessary
nutrients • The seemingly unorganized random designs are believed to be
governed by mathematical equation.
2. Snowflakes • According to the theory of Alan Turing, a British
• 6-fold symmetry. mathematician, chemical reactions and diffusion in cell
• Many combinations and shapes determine these growth patterns, as well as influence other
may occur, “no two are alike.” factors.
• Note that snowflakes are not • More recent studies through new model follow the logic that
perfect symmetric due to the local patterns produced by the various chemical processes
humidity. will repeat given a larger space such as an animal's fur.
 5. Snail’s Shell • In 1202, he introduced this sequence in his book, "Liber
• Snails are born with their shells, Abaci" (The Book of Calculation).
called protoconch, and these start out as • Though Fibonacci didn’t discover the sequence, he
very fragile and colorless. Eventually, popularized it in the Western world by using it to solve a
these original shells harden as the snails problem about rabbit population growth.
consume a calcium -rich diet. • Interestingly, the Fibonacci sequence had been known in
• As the snails grow, their shells also ancient Indian mathematics centuries earlier and was called
the Virahanka sequence. Its occurrence in both Indian and
expand in the same proportion for them
European mathematical traditions shows how mathematical
to be able to continue to live inside it. ideas often transcend cultures.
• This process results in a refined • Though Fibonacci didn’t discover the sequence, he
spiral structure that is even more visible popularized it in the Western world by using it to solve a
when shell is sliced. problem about rabbit population growth.
• The Fibonacci sequence begins with 0 and 1, and each
subsequent number is the sum of the two preceding ones.
Sequence This creates a sequence that looks like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,
21, 34, 55, 89,…
• Humans are naturally inclined to recognize and make sense of • Each number in the sequence is generated using the following
patterns. From early civilizations identifying patterns in the recursive formula: 𝐹𝐹(𝑛𝑛)=𝐹𝐹(𝑛𝑛−1)+𝐹𝐹(𝑛𝑛−2).
stars to modern problem-solving approaches, pattern
recognition is deeply embedded in how we understand the
world.
Fibonacci Sequence and Nature
• This ability allows us to anticipate, innovate, and create • The Fibonacci sequence isn’t just a mathematical curiosity; it
systems or sequences that shape our surroundings. appears in nature and humanmade systems alike.
• Sequence is an ordered list of numbers, called terms, that may
have repeated value. 1. Plant Growth - The number of petals in many flowers is often
• Examples: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 18, 14, 10, 6, 2 a Fibonacci number (e.g., lilies have 3 petals, buttercups have 5,
daisies often have 34, 55, or 89 petals).
• The arrangements of the terms are set by some definite rule.
2. Pinecones - The spiral pattern of pinecones follows the
• 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, … - This sequence is a very special sequence Fibonacci sequence, with the number of spirals typically being
called Fibonacci sequence. Fibonacci numbers.
3. Rabbit Population Growth - Fibonacci originally devised his
sequence to model the growth of a rabbit population, assuming
Leonardo of Pisa ideal conditions for reproduction.
• Also known as Fibonacci.
Golden Ratio 3. Financial Markets – Some analysts believe that Fibonacci
numbers and the Golden Ratio can be used to predict price
• It is also interesting to note that the ratios of successive movements in financial markets, such as stock prices and
Fibonacci numbers approach the number ϕ (phi), also known commodities.
as the Golden Ratio. This is approximately equal to 1.618.
• As you go further along the Fibonacci sequence, the ratio of
consecutive Fibonacci numbers approaches the Golden Ratio.

Golden Ratio and Nature

1. Art and Architecture – Many artists and architects, including
the ancient Greeks and Leonardo da Vinci, have used the Golden
Ratio to create aesthetically pleasing compositions, such as in
the proportions of the Parthenon and the layout of the Mona Lisa.

2. Human Proportions – Some

scientists
2. Human claim that the human
Proportions bodyscientists
– Some follows
the Golden Ratio, with various
claim that the human body follows parts of the
the
body (e.g., the length of the forearm
Golden Ratio, with various parts of the
compared
body (e.g.,to the
the hand)
lengthapproximating this
of the forearm
ratio.
compared to the hand) approximating this
ratio.