MMW Notes Prelim

The Nature of Mathematics
The word mathematics comes from the Greek (Mathema), which, in the ancient Greek language, means
"That which is learnt" or "lesson" in modern Greek. Mathema is derived from "manthano" while the
modern Greek equivalent is "mathaino" which means "to learn”. The study of dmathematics and the
use of generalize mathematical theories and proofs are the key differences between Greek mathematics
and the mathematics of preceding civilizations.
What is Mathematics?
 An Art
 Set of Problem-solving tools
 Language
 Study of Patterns
 Process of thinking
 Mathematics - It is a formal system of thought for recognizing, classifying and exploiting of
patterns
What is Mathematics about?
 Numbers, symbols, Notations

 Operations, Equations, Functions
 Process and thingfication of processes.
WHAT IS MATHEMATICS?
 The study of numbers and arithmetic operations.

 A set of tools or a collection of skills that can be applied to questions of "how many" or "how
much"
 A science which involves logical reasoning, drawing conclusion from assumed premises and
strategic reasoning based on accepted rules, laws or probabilities.
 An art which studies patterns for predictive purposes
 It is universal. People use math to get things done.
WHAT IS IT FOR?
 To help us unravel the puzzle of nature, a useful way to think about nature.
 Organize patterns and regularities as well as irregularities.
 To help us control the effect of weather and epidemics
 Provides new questions to think about.
HOW IS MATHEMATICS DONE?
 With Curiosity
 With eagerness for seeking patterns and generalizations
 With desire to know the truth
 With trial and error
 Without fear of facing more questions and problems
WHO USES MATHEMATICS?
 Mathematicians : pure and applied

 Scientist natural and social
 Practically EVERYONE
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW?
 It puts order in disorder.

 It helps us become better persons
 It helps us make the world a better place to live on
PATTERNS
 Are regular, repeated, or recurring forms or designs.

 It is an arrangement which helps observers anticipate what might see or what happen next.
Example of Patterns:
 Logic Pattern
 Number pattern
 Geometric Patterns
 Word Patterns
Fibonacci Sequence and Golden Ratio
 Godfrey Harold hardy- "A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. If his
patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas."
 Godfrey Hardy (7 February 1877 – 1 December 1947) was an English mathematician, known for
his achievements in number theory and mathematical analysis. In biology, he is known for the
Hardy–Weinberg principle, a basic principle of population genetics.
What is Fibonacci Sequence?
 The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers that follow a unique integer sequence.
 These numbers generate mathematical patterns that can be found in all aspects of life.
 The patterns can be seen in everything from the human body to the physiology of plants and
animals.
History of Fibonacci Sequence
The story began in Pisa, Italy in the year 1202. Leonardo Pisano Bigollo was a young man in his
twenties, a member of an important trading family of Pisa. In his travels throughout the Middle East, he
was captivated by the mathematical ideas that had come west from India through the Arabic countries.
When he returned to Pisa he published these ideas in a book on mathematics called Liber Abaci, which
became a landmark in Europe.
 Fibonacci discovered that the number of pairs of rabbits for any month after the first
two months can be determined by adding the numbered of pairs of rabbits in each of
the two previous months
 A recursive definition for a sequence is one in which each successive term of the
sequence is defined by using of the preceding terms. If we use the mathematical
notation Fn to represent the nth Fibonacci number, then the numbers in the Fibonacci
sequence are given by the following definition.
The Fibonacci Sequence in Nature:

 Flowers
 Spirals (Nautils shell – snail shell, hurricane, galaxy, cauliflower, pine cone
Why do we need to know the language of math?
- To be able to understand the idea/concepts of math

- To figure out clearly the logic of math
Elements of the language of Mathematics
- Nouns
- Pronouns
- Verbs
- Sentences
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Syntax
- Synonyms
- Negations
- Sentence structure
- Paragraph structure
- Conventions
- Abbreviations
Some difficulties in the mathematical language
1. The word “and” means differently in mathematics from its English use. In mathematics, “and” is
equivalent to “plus”
2. The word “is” may be represented in mathematics using different symbols. For example, 5 is the
square root of 25, 5 is less than 10
TRANSLATION
▰ Like other languages, mathematics has its own vocabulary, grammar, syntax, synonyms,
negation, sentence structure, paragraph structure, conventions, and abbreviations.
▰ Designed in such a way that one can write about numbers, sets, functions, etc. as well as the
processes undergone by these elements.
▰ So, in translating verbal phrases to algebraic expression, verbal statement to mathematical

statement and vice versa it is very important to know the different key words and phrases that
indicate the fundamental operations of arithmetic.
The mathematical statement ∀ 𝑥 ∈ ℝ, 𝑥2 ≥ 0.
- There can be 1 or more than translation:

- For all x element of the real number, x squared is at least zero.
- For all x element of the real number, the square of x is greater than or equal to zero.
- Take note that this is a mathematical statement so we can solve or can check if it is true or false,
and by that the given statement is true. Because if we square any real number the result is
greater than zero and of course the square of zero is zero.
The statement ∃ x ∈ R , x+1=0.
 There exist x element of the real number, such that the sum of x and 1 is zero. (True)
 There exist x in the real number, such that x plus 1 is zero. (True)
Verbal phrases to Algebraic expression

The concept of “difference between”
Say, we have the difference between two numbers
▰ The difference between 5 and 12 is 7.
▰ The difference between 12 and 5 is 7.
 Take note, these statements are both true, both the same.
 We need to recognize that the difference between two numbers is the larger number minus the
smaller number.
 So if we translate it to subtraction it will be 12−5=7.
Now, what if the statement is like this
▰ “The difference between two numbers A and B”.

 Here, we cannot write A−B since we don’t know what number is greater than the other.
 So, we will use a notation and write it as ¿ A−B∨¿ which read as “the absolute difference
between A and B”. But we are familiar with reading it as “the absolute value of A minus B, but in
this case the first one is better.
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
INDUCTIVE REASONING
The type of reasoning that forms a conclusion based on the examination of specific examples is called
inductive reasoning. The conclusion formed by using inductive reasoning Is a conjecture, since it may or
may not be correct.
Conjecture- A statement believed true based on inductive reasoning
Complete the conjecture: The product of an odd and an even number is
Example 1: Use inductive reasoning to predict a number in each of the following lists.
a. 3,6,9,12,15
b. 1,3,6,10,15
Inductive Reasoning is not just to predict the next number in a list.
In example 2: Use Inductive reasoning to make a conjecture
Consider the following procedure: Pick a number. Multiply by 8, add 6 to the product divide the sum by
2, and subtract 3.
Polya's 4-Steps Problem Solving Process
George Polya
- George Polya was a teacher and mathematician.
- Lived from 1887-1985
- Published a book in 1945: How to Solve It, explaining that people could
learn to become better problem solvers.
-
- PROBLEM SOLVING – IS AS MUCH AN ART AS IT IS A SCIENCE

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The Nature of Mathematics

What is Mathematics about?

 Numbers, symbols, Notations

 The study of numbers and arithmetic operations.

HOW IS MATHEMATICS DONE?

 Mathematicians : pure and applied

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW?

 It puts order in disorder.

 Are regular, repeated, or recurring forms or designs.

Fibonacci Sequence and Golden Ratio

What is Fibonacci Sequence?

History of Fibonacci Sequence

The Fibonacci Sequence in Nature:

- To be able to understand the idea/concepts of math

Elements of the language of Mathematics

▰ So, in translating verbal phrases to algebraic expression, verbal statement to mathematical

The mathematical statement ∀ 𝑥 ∈ ℝ, 𝑥2 ≥ 0.

- There can be 1 or more than translation:

The statement ∃ x ∈ R , x+1=0.

Verbal phrases to Algebraic expression

Say, we have the difference between two numbers

▰ The difference between 5 and 12 is 7.

▰ The difference between 12 and 5 is 7.

 So if we translate it to subtraction it will be 12−5=7.

Now, what if the statement is like this

▰ “The difference between two numbers A and B”.

Inductive and Deductive Reasoning

Conjecture- A statement believed true based on inductive reasoning

Complete the conjecture: The product of an odd and an even number is

Inductive Reasoning is not just to predict the next number in a list.

In example 2: Use Inductive reasoning to make a conjecture

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