Aurora State College of Technology

GE4: Mathematics in the Modern Word

MODULE 1: NATURE OF MATHEMATICS

Number of Hours: 6Hrs
LEARNING OUTCOME(S): Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world. Articulate the
importance of mathematics in one’s life. Argue about the nature of mathematics, what it is, how it is expressed
represented and used. Express appreciation for mathematics as a human endeavor.
LESSON OUTLINE:
• Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World
• The Fibonacci Sequence
• Mathematics for our World
• Mathematics for Organization
• Mathematics for Prediction
• Mathematics for Control
• Mathematics is Indispensable.

PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN NATURE AND THE WORLD

In a general sense, patterns are regular, repeated, or recurring forms or designs. We see patterns every
day, studying patterns will help in identifying relationships and finding logical connections to form
generalization and make predictions.
Example 1. Let’s take a look at this pattern:
a.

b.

Looking at the given examples, what do you think will be (a) next face and (b) next figure in the
sequence?
In the first example, it should be easy enough to note that the pattern is made up of two faces – one
without teeth and one with teeth, the two faces alternate. Logically, the next face in the sequence is the one
with teeth. Next, the line seems to rotate at 90-degrees interval in a counterclockwise direction, always parallel
to one side of the square and the length of the lines inside the square follow a decreasing trend and each
succeeding figure has the number of line increase by 1. This means the next figure is,

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Instructor: Neil B. Montero
 Aurora State College of Technology
GE4: Mathematics in the Modern Word

Example 2. Number Patterns

a. What number comes next in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, __?
Looking at the given numbers above, the pattern is increasing, by adding two units from the previous
term. That means the next term for the pattern should be 13, since, 11 is the previous term and by adding 2
you will get the missing term in the pattern.
b. What number comes next in 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ___?
Sometimes pattern can be derived by adding or multiplying a number to the previous term to get the
next one. For this example, this is the pattern of square numbers. When you multiply a whole number to itself,
the resulting product is called a square number, or a perfect square or simply "a square." So, 1, 4, 9, 16, 25,
are all square numbers. A square number is a number of the form n*n (or n2), where n is any whole number.
Therefore, the next term should be 36.

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.

Patterns are also exhibited in the external appearances of animals. These seemingly random designs are
believed to be governed by mathematical equations. According to a theory by Allan Turing, chemical reactions
and diffusion processes in cells determine these growth patterns.

If you look more closely, you will note that different flowers have different numbers of petals. Flowers with
five petals are said to be the most common.

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Instructor: Neil B. Montero
 Aurora State College of Technology
GE4: Mathematics in the Modern Word

There is a definite pattern of clockwise and counterclockwise

arcs or spirals extending outward from the center of the flower. This
arrangement allows the sunflower seed to occupy the flower head in a
way that maximizes their access to light and nutrients.

Snails are born with their shells, called protoconch, which start
out as fragile and colorless. The figure on the bottom is called an
equiangular spiral, follows the rule that as the distance from the center
increases, the angles formed by the radii to the point and the tangent to
the point.

Packing problems involve finding the optimum method of

filling up a given space such as a cubic or spherical container. An

example of a packing problem is the structure and shape of a

honeycomb. It is observed that such formation enables the bee colony

to maximize their storage of honey using the smallest amount of wax.

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Instructor: Neil B. Montero
 Aurora State College of Technology
GE4: Mathematics in the Modern Word

SYMMETRY

Symmetry indicates that you can draw an imaginary

line across an object and the resulting parts are mirror
images of each other. The figure to the right is
symmetric about the axis indicated by the dotted line.

An object is said to be assymetric if it is not

symmetric. This type of symmetry as line, line or
bilateral symmetry.

Example 3.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man shows the proportions and symmetry of the human body (see the image
on the left). This type of symmetry is also a line, line or bilateral symmetry.
There are other types of symmetry depending on the number of sides of faces that are symmetrical. The
number of sides or faces that are symmetrical is called the order of symmetry. The image in the middle has
order of symmetry equal to 3 while the image on the right has order 5.

Rotational Symmetry is the property a shape has when it looks the same after some rotation by a partial turn.
The smallest that a figure can be rotated while still preserving the original formation is called the angle of
rotation.
360°
Angle of rotation = , where n is the order of symmetry. Consider the images on Example 3. Both images
𝑛
360° 360°
have rotational symmetry with angle of rotation equal to = 120° 𝑎𝑛𝑑 = 72°, respectively.
3 5

SEQUENCE

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Instructor: Neil B. Montero
 Aurora State College of Technology
GE4: Mathematics in the Modern Word
A sequence is an ordered list of numbers, called terms, that may have repeated values. The arrangement of
these terms is set by a definite rule. To illustrate this:

Example 4. Analyze the given sequence for its rule and identify the next term.
a. 1, 10, 100, 1000, ____
This an example of sequence involving the power of 10. Meaning, A power of 10 is any of the integer
powers of the number ten; in other words, ten multiplied by itself a certain number of times (when the
power is a positive integer). The sequence can be written in 100,101,102,103, therefore the next term is
104 or equal to 10,000.

Alternative solution: Simply multiply the previous term by 10. So, 1= 1(10), 100=10(10), 1,000 =
100(10), then the missing term is 10,000 = 1000(10).

b. 2, 5, 9, 14, 20, ____

Sequence indicate a sense of structure, for this example there is no constant number that can be used
to add or multiply the previous term to get the next term. But you can rewrite the sequence to see its
behavior. 2, 5, 9, 14, 20 can be written as 2, 2+3, 5+4, 9+5, 14+6 then the next term is 20+7 = 27.

FIBONACCI SEQUENCE
Fibonacci sequence is named after the Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, who was better known
by his nickname Fibonacci. He said to have discovered this sequence as he looked at how a hypothesized
group of rabbits bred and reproduced. The problem involved having a single pair of rabbits and then finding
out how many pairs of rabbits will be born in a year.

Starting with 0 and 1, the succeeding terms in the sequence can be generated by adding two numbers that
came before the term:
0+1=1 0, 1, 1
1+1=2 0, 1, 1, 2
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Instructor: Neil B. Montero
 Aurora State College of Technology
GE4: Mathematics in the Modern Word
1+2=3 0, 1, 1, 2, 3
2+3=5 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5
3+5=8 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8
5 + 8 = 13 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13
… 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, …
Fib(n) be the nth term of the Fibonacci sequence, with Fib (1) =1, Fib (2) =1, Fib (3) =2, Fib (4) =3, . . . ,
Fib(n+1)

Geometrically, it can also be visualized as a rectangle perfectly formed by a square and another rectangle,
which can be repeated infinitely inside each

Fibonacci sequence has many interesting properties. Among these is that this pattern very visible in
nature like the spiral arrangement of sunflower seeds, the number of petals in a flower, and the shape of a
snail’s shell. Fibonacci numbers approach the number Phi (), also known as the Golden Ratio. This is
approximately equal to 1.618.

MATHEMATICS FOR OUR WORLD

Mathematics played an important role in our world and seen how evident mathematics is in the natural
world, specifically patterns that we observe in nature follow logical and mathematical structures. It is very
important to know and learn the mathematical concepts and how to apply them in solving societal problems.

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Instructor: Neil B. Montero
 Aurora State College of Technology
GE4: Mathematics in the Modern Word
Mathematics for Organization
Nowadays, a lot of events happen around us and we need mathematics for us to make sense of all available
information. We need mathematical tools to help us make sound analysis and better decisions.
Examples:
1. A particular store can gather data on the shopping habits of its customers and make necessary adjustments
to help drive sales.
2. Scientists can plot bird migration routes to help conserve endangered animal populations.

Mathematics for Prediction

It is sometimes said that history repeats itself. As much as we can use mathematical models using existing
data to generate analysis and interpretations, we can also use them to make predictions.
Examples:
3. Applying the concept of probability, experts can calculate the chance of an event occurring. The weather
is a prime example.
4. Based on historical patterns, meteorologists can make forecasts to help us prepare for our day-to-day
activities.
Mathematics for Control
The observations of nature, as well as their interactions and relationships, could be more elegantly described
by means of mathematical equations.
“With a few symbols on a page you can describe a wealth of physical phenomena”- Brian Greene
Mathematics is Indispensable
“How is it possible that mathematics, a product of human thought that is independent of experience, fits so
excellently the objects of reality.’ -Albert Einstein
Whether you are on your way to becoming a doctor, an engineer, an entrepreneur, or a chef, a forester, a
knowledge of mathematics will be helpful.

GE4: MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

MODULE 1 ASSESSMENT: [Link]

QUIZ 1: [Link]

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Instructor: Neil B. Montero
 Aurora State College of Technology
GE4: Mathematics in the Modern Word

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Instructor: Neil B. Montero