Lesson 1

MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD

In our modern world, the usefulness of mathematics is investable.

Mathematics is used in different fields to calculate effectively the results
of different activities, predict the behavior or a variable when the other
variables are known, identify fully well the requirements of a particular
dosage of medicine to cure a certain illness verify whether a specific
solution is applicable to generate set – ups ascertain the chronology of
events in the past identify patterns of situations; and many more.

What is mathematics? Where is mathematics? What role does

mathematics play in our world? These are questions that we want to have
answers for us to regain our interest in the subject matter.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

1. Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world;

2. Articulate the importance of mathematics in your 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.

WHAT IS MATHEMATICS?

Mathematics is the study of pattern and structure. Mathematics is

fundamental to the physical and biological sciences, engineering
and information technology, to economics and increasingly to the
social sciences.
Mathematics is a useful way to think about nature and our world.
Mathematics is a tool to quantify, organize and control our world,
predict phenomena and make life easier for us.

WHERE IS MATHEMATICS?

Many patterns and occurrences exists in nature, in our world, in our

life. Mathematics helps make sense of these patterns and
occurrences.

WHAT ROLE DOES MATHEMATICS PLAY IN OURWORLD?

 Mathematics helps organize patterns and regularities in our world.
Mathematics helps predict the behavior of nature and phenomena in
the world.
Mathematics helps control nature and occurrences in the world for
our own ends.
Mathematics has numerous applications in the world making it
indispensable.

Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

Types of Pattern in Nature Patterns in nature can be seen in our

environment. These patterns occur in different forms and can be modelled
mathematically. Natural patterns include the following:

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 whose adults do not move and jellyfish (dihedral-D4
symmetry). Radial symmetry is also evident in different kinds of flowers.

Bilateral Radial
Symmetry 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 logarithmic spiral or growth spiral is a self-similar spiral

curve which often appears in nature. It was first describe by Rene
Descartes and was later investigated by Jacob Bernoulli. A spiral is a
curved pattern that focuses on a center point and a series of circular
shapes that revolve around it. Examples of spirals are pine cones,
pineapples, hurricanes. The reason for why plants use a spiral form is
because they are constantly trying to grow but stay secure

4. spots & stripes.

The Fibonacci Sequence

The Fibonacci sequence is an array of numbers that given two
terms, the next term is determined by adding the given terms.
Mathematically,
 f n=f n−1+ f n−2
Named after Fibonacci, also known as Leonardo of Pisa or Leonardo
Pisano, Fibonacci numbers were first introduced in his Liber Abbaci
(Book of Calculation) in 1202. The son of a Pisan merchant, Fibonacci
traveled widely and traded extensively. Mathematics was incredibly
important to those in the trading industry, and his passion for numbers
was cultivated in his youth.

GIVEN TERMS EXPANSION EXPLANATION

f 0=0 ; f 1=1 f n=0 , 1 ,1 , 2 ,3 , 5 , 8 ,13 ,, … 0+1=1
1+1=2
1+2=3
2+3=5
3+5=8
5+8=13, and so on…
f 0=1 ; f 1=3 f 0=1 , 3 , 4 , 7 , 11,18 , 29 , , … 1+3=4
3+ 4=7
4 +7=11
7+11=18
11+18=29 ,and so on…
f 0=2 ; f 1 =2 f 0=2 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 10 ,16 , 26 , , … 2+2=4
2+ 4=6
4 +6=10
6+1 0=16
1 0+1 6=2 6 , and so on…

THE HABBIT RABBIT

One of the book’s exercises which is written like this “A man put a pair of
rabbits in a place surrounded on all sides by a wall. How many pairs of
rabbits are produced from that pair in a year, if it supposed that every
month each pair produces a new pair, which from the second month
onwards becomes productive?” This is best understood in this diagram:

GROWTH RABBIT COLONY

MONTHS ADULT PAIRS YOUNG PAIRS TOTAL
 1 1 1 2
2 2 1 3
3 3 2 5
4 5 3 8
5 8 5 13
6 13 8 21
7 21 13 34
8 34 21 55
9 55 34 89
10 89 55 144
11 144 89 233
12 233 144 377

The sequence encountered in the rabbit problem 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,

34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, …. is called the Fibonacci sequence and its
terms the Fibonacci numbers.

GOLDEN RECTANGLE
Leonardo of Pisa also known as Fibonacci discovered a sequence of
numbers that created an interesting numbers that created an interesting
pattern the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… each number is
obtained by adding the last two numbers of the sequence forms what is
known as golden rectangle a perfect rectangle. A golden rectangle can be
broken down into squares the size of the next Fibonacci number down and
below. If we were to take a golden rectangle, break it down to smaller
squares based from Fibonacci sequence and divide each with an arc, the
pattern begin to take shapes, we begin with Fibonacci spiral in which we
can see in nature.