Scribd
Upload
2K views31 pages

1.1 Patterns and Numbers in Nature

This document discusses patterns in nature, specifically focusing on Fibonacci numbers. It explains who Fibonacci was and how he discovered the Fibonacci sequence by studying rabbit populations. While Fibonacci's rabbit model was incorrect, the sequence he discovered appears frequently in nature, such as spiral patterns in sunflowers and pinecones. The document then discusses other common patterns seen in nature like symmetry, fractals, tessellation, and spirals. Students are challenged to observe patterns around them and share examples they find.

Uploaded by

chris Kusanagi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2K views31 pages

1.1 Patterns and Numbers in Nature

This document discusses patterns in nature, specifically focusing on Fibonacci numbers. It explains who Fibonacci was and how he discovered the Fibonacci sequence by studying rabbit populations. While Fibonacci's rabbit model was incorrect, the sequence he discovered appears frequently in nature, such as spiral patterns in sunflowers and pinecones. The document then discusses other common patterns seen in nature like symmetry, fractals, tessellation, and spirals. Students are challenged to observe patterns around them and share examples they find.

Uploaded by

chris Kusanagi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 31

Math in the Modern World

Chapter 1: Mathematics in our World


1.1 Patterns and Numbers in Nature

Fibonacci Numbers in Nature


Who is Fibonacci?
• Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician.
• He was really named Leonardo de Pisa but his nickname
was Fibonacci.
• About 800 years ago, in 1202, he wrote himself a Math
problem all about rabbits that went like this:
“A certain man put a pair of rabbits in a place surrounded
by a wall. How many pairs of rabbits can be produced
from that pair in a year if it is supposed that every month
each pair breed a new pair from which the second month
on becomes productive?” (Liber abbaci, pp. 283-284)
Fibonacci’s Rabbits
• Like all good mathematicians he stayed
working on this problem for months and
eventually came up with a solution:
A load of…
• Fibonacci’s rabbit theory turned out not to be
true BUT the sequence he created IS incredibly
useful…
• The sequence goes:
– 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34…
Can you work
out which
numbers come
next?
Continue the sequence…
• Fibonacci’s sequence is made by adding the two
previous numbers together to create the next,
starting with 0 and one:
• 0+1=1
1+1=2
1+2=3
2+3=5
3+5=8
…keep going!
Fibonacci
• The sequence Fibonacci created may not have
solved his rabbit reproduction problem
• BUT other mathematicians looked at his
numbers and started seeing them all over the
place.
Find Fibonacci!
Other patterns in nature…
• Nature may be full of Fibonacci but not EVERY
plant or flower has a Fibonacci number.
• There are plenty of other interesting patterns
to look out for.
• Can you think of any patterns?
1. Symmetry…
• SYMMETRY – You can find symmetry in leaves,
flowers, insects and animals
• Can you think of any examples?
2. Spirals…
Can you count the spirals??
A Fibonacci number?
Check this out!
• For next meeting, bring and be ready to talk
about in the class anything that you see
patterns in it.
3. Fractals…
• Some plants have fractal patterns.
• A fractal is a never-ending pattern that repeats
itself at different scales.
• A fractal continually reproduces copies of itself
in various sizes and/or directions.
• Fractals are extremely complex, sometimes
infinitely complex.
Watch this fractal zoooom!
• Watch this...
• Write your own definition of a fractal.
A never-ending pattern
Tessellation…
• Sometimes in nature we find tessellation.
• A tessellation is a repeating pattern of polygons
that covers a flat surface with no gaps or
overlaps.
• Think about when you tile a floor.
• No gaps and no overlapping tiles!
• There are regular tessellations (all the same
shape tiles) and irregular (a mix of shapes).
• Can you think of any examples in nature?
Where is THIS tessellation
from?!
Pattern hunters!
• With all these patterns to search for, you will
be pattern hunters next meeting!
• With your clipboards, pencils and lots of
curiosity, you will be searching for and
sketching patterns.
Good luck!

You might also like