The Nature of Mathematics

Objectives:
Student should be able to:
1. Identify patterns in nature and irregularities
2. Articulate the importance of Mathematics in one’s life
3. Argue about mathematics, what it is, how it is expressed, represented, and used, and,
4. Express appreciation for mathematics as a human endeavor.

Activity 1:

1. Watch the video “Nature by Numbers” by Cristobal Vila (link: https://vimeo.com/9953368 ) and write one (1)
sentence that describes your impression after watching the video.
2. Identify pattern/s observed in the pictures.

Content:

The video and the pictures leave us questions to think about.

• What are the different kinds and forms of patterns you have seen in the video and/or pictures?
• How does these patterns help us understand the connection between our world and mathematics?

Patterns And Numbers in Nature and the World

When we buy clothes, accessories, furniture, house decorations, and other similar objects, we tend to look for
beautiful geometric designs or patterns. We appreciate the patterns seen in the colorful wings of butterflies, the
arrangement of flowers and leaves, the reflection of the mountain tops to the clear waters of lakes, the different shapes of
clouds in the skies, and other patterns seen in the nature. In the busy streets of the cities, we are impressed by the intricate
but well-designed modern homes and high-rise buildings. We are wowed by nature and man-made creations because of
these repeated designs of geometric visuals.
Repeated ways or occurrences that happens or was done are also considered as patterns. For example, the cycle
of the moon, the changing seasons, and even the transmission pattern of the COVID 19 pandemic.
Patterns surround us. It is everywhere and are in every people’s task or activity.
 Mathematics, developed by human mind and culture, is a formal system of thought for recognizing,
classifying, and exploiting patterns. (Stewart, I.). Mathematics is indeed a study of patterns. Results in mathematics
are brought by the generalizations of patterns. The study of patterns allows us to observe and identify relationships,
discover logical connections, and make generalizations. Moreover, the use and study of patterns allows us to be logical
thinkers and better problem solvers.
Now, let us take a look of some of these patterns.

Example:
1. Logic Pattern
Choose the figure that completes the pattern.

Solution:
1. D. The sketch is being built stage by stage. A new line is added in each stage and it never touches the last line added in
the previous stage.

2. B. Each figure consists of 3 shapes; namely: external shape, middle shape, and inner shape. Notice that the
external shape appears to be the middle shape of the next figure. The middle shape disappears in the next figure. While
the inner shape appears to be as the external shape of the figure two steps forward. For example: The external shape of
the 4th figure is a circle, The middle shape is a pentagon, and the inner shape is a hexagon. The circle becomes the middle
shape of the next figure, the pentagon disappears in the next figure, and the hexagon becomes the external shape of
the figure two steps forward from the 4th figure.

2. Number Patterns
Find the next number in the sequence.
a. 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, ?
b. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, ?

Solution:
a. For this sequence, the difference between each term is 5.

b. The next number in the sequence can be determined in two ways:

Examples 1 and 2 are usually seen on aptitude tests. Before we determine the next shape or number, we have to
observe the objects, look into their properties, and their relationship on other objects. In such a way, we are allowed to
hypothesize, predict, and construct generalizations based on the observed patterns.
Patterns, such as geometric and word patterns, are also very common to us. Word patterns focused on the
morphological rules in pluralizing nouns, conjugating verbs for tense, and metrical rules of poetry.
 Examples: baby: babies buy: bought
trolley: trollies bring: brought
ally: ? catch: ?
answer: allies answer: caught

While geometric patterns are designs that depict geometric shapes like lines, circles, and polygons. Geometric
patterns are observed in nature. These patterns are also associated to the identification of a particular country and
culture. Below are samples of geometric patterns that are associated to Philippine ethnic groups and local regions.

Activity 2:
1. For each set of figures, what comes next?

a. c.

b.

2. What is the next number in the series?

a. 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, ?
b. 1, 4, 10, 22, 46, ?
c. 4, -1, -11, -26, -46, ?

The world and the universe are full of beautiful patterns and designs that are mathematical in nature. Let us take
a closer look on some of these patterns in nature and the world.

Symmetry and Angle of Rotation

Consider the figure below.
 When you draw an imaginary line across an object and the resulting parts are mirror images of each other, we
have shown a symmetry. The A figure above is symmetric about the axis indicated by the broken line. This is called as
line or bilateral symmetry and is common to animals and humans.
Here are other images showing symmetry.

Observe that if we rotate the flower and the starfish by several degrees, we can still have the same appearance as
the original position. This is called the rotational symmetry.
The smallest angle an object can be rotated while it is preserving its original formation is called the angle of
rotation.
A figure has a rotational symmetry of order 𝑛 (𝑛-fold rotational symmetry) if 1/n of a complete turn leaves the
figure unchanged. To compute for the angle of rotation, we use

Snowflakes and Honeycombs

Look into a microphotographed snowflake below.
 Notice that it exhibits a pattern on each arm that repeats six times. This snowflake indicates a six-fold symmetry.
However, many snowflakes are not perfectly symmetric due to the effects of the different atmospheric conditions such as
temperature and humidity on the ice crystals as it forms when they descend from the skies. The angle of rotation
for the snowflake with a 6-fold symmetry is 60O.
Humans are also marveled with the almost perfect hexagonal shape arrangements in honeycombs.

The image on the right explains why mathematicians believed that hexagon is the most effective way of
storing honey. The hexagonal formation allows bees to store the
largest possible amount of honey with the use of the least amount of
wax.

Peacock’s Tail

The patterns exhibited in animal’s external appearance has

to do with their growth; their survival; and even with their
chances to attract their mates.
Symmetric and repeated patterns, enhanced with bright,
beautiful colors, on the feathers of a peacock’s tail are used to attract
their mates.

Sunflower
Nature has gifted us with beautiful flowers. The brilliant colors, fragrant odors, petal arrangements, and
different sizes and number of petals make flowers very appealing. If we closely observe these flowers, we can find
interesting patterns.
For example, let us take a closer look on the orderly arrangement of sunflower seeds. We can see clockwise and
counterclockwise spirals extending outward from the center of the flower. Moreover, the sunflower seed arrangement
displays a very interesting numerical sequence called the Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8,
13, 21, … and so on. Each number on the sequence is determined by adding the two preceding numbers.
The number of seeds spirals in a sunflower adds up to a Fibonacci number. Spirals of many plants such as pineapple
and pinecones also add up a Fibonacci number.
Nautilus Shell

Another example that shows how nature seems to follow a certain set of rules governed by mathematics is spiral
patterns seen in a shell of a nautilus.

As the mollusk grows inside the shell, the shell also expands and attempts to maintain the same proportional shape
as it grows outward. This growth pattern results to refined spirals on the shell which is very evident when it is sliced. The
image on the right is called the logarithmic spiral, also known as equiangular spirals.
The image shows a mathematical curve which has the property of maintaining a constant angle between the
radius and the tangent to the curve at any point on the curve. Equivalently, the property states that as the
distance from the spiral center increases (radius), the amplitudes of the angles formed by the radii to the point and the
tangent to the point remain constant.

Activity 3.

Look around you. Try to observe for patterns in your bedroom, house, or backyard. Take picture of it and print out. Do
they have geometric patterns or number patterns? What makes these patterns appealing?

Reflection:
Answer the following questions:
1. What is Mathematics?
2. Where is Mathematics?
3. What role does Mathematics play in our world?

Note: Answer only those that are highlighted in purple shade.