THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICS

What is Mathematics?
▪ math·e·mat·ics
✓Noun
✓It is the abstract science of number,
quantity, and space.
✓Mathematics may be studied in its own
right ( pure mathematics ), or as it is
applied to other disciplines such as
physics and engineering (applied
mathematics)
 What is Mathematics?
▪ It is the science that deals with the
logic of shape, quantity and
arrangement.
 What is Mathematics?
▪ It is all about numbers.

NUMBERS
 What is Mathematics?
▪ It is the science of patterns and
relationships. (Resnik, 1981)
◦ As a theoretical discipline, mathematics explores
the possible relationships among abstractions
without concern for whether those abstractions
have counterparts in the real world.
◦ The abstractions can be anything from strings of
numbers to geometric figures to sets of equations.
 What is Mathematics?
▪ It is the language of Science.
“Mathematics is the language in which God has written the universe.” - Galileo
Galilei

▪ It is a universal language. The

symbols and organization to form
equations are the same in every
country of the world.
 What is Mathematics?
▪ It is the science of logical reasoning.
“Mathematics in its widest sense is the development of all types of reasoning.” -
Whitehead

▪ Working on problems requires the

process of logical reasoning
 The Nature of Mathematics
▪ A Study of Patterns
▪ A Mathematical Language
▪ Mathematical Reasoning
Where is Mathematics?

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atch?v=kkGeOWYOFoA
A Study of Patterns

exists everywhere
exists in nature
Patterns
▪ Mathematics exists everywhere
as patterns do in nature.
Patterns
▪ are regularities that we perceive
▪ are regular, repeated and
recurring forms or design
▪ A pattern is the repeated or
regular way in which something
happens or is done
 Patterns
▪Auditorily
✓ drum beats
✓ bird's call
✓ siren of the ambulance
✓ Heart beat
 Patterns
▪Somatically (tactile or action-based sensation)
✓Developmental growth of man
✓Mutation patterns of cancer cells
✓Tapping one’s foot to music
✓Playing drumbeats
 Patterns
▪ Visually
✓ fire truck lights
✓ stripes in the street crossing
✓ Wallpaper designs
 Patterns
▪Three-dimensional Objects
Patterns
▪ Algebraic patterns
✓ It is considered an early building
block in algebra
▪ Geometric patterns
✓ It is more on discerning and
labeling what you see
Patterns
▪ Generalization of Patterns
✓ Ability to apply a pattern
▪ Pattern Recognition
✓ Ability to see, discern and label a pattern
▪ Pattern Replication
✓ Ability to reproduce a given pattern
▪ Pattern Extension
✓ Ability to identify and expand a pattern
▪ Pattern Creation
✓ Ability to create own pattern
Let’s take a look at the ff:
11
1. 1,3,5,7,9, ___
36
2. 1,4,9,16,25, ___
ABC
3. ABCABC____
4. ___

5. ____

6. ____
 Patterns
▪ Indicates a sense of structure and
organization that it seems only
human are capable of producing
these intricate, creative, and amazing
formations.
Patterns In Nature
▪ Are visible regularities of form
found in natural world
▪ Recur in different context and can
be modeled mathematically
▪ Natural Patterns include
symmetries, trees, spirals,
meanders, waves, foams,
tessellation, cracks and stripes
 SYMMETRY
- the quality of being made up of
exactly similar parts facing each other
or around an axis.
 SYMMETRY
-It means an object is invariant to any of
various transformations including
reflection, rotation or scaling.
-It is an agreement in dimensions due
proportion and balance.
 SYMMETRY
1. Bilateral Symmetry
- animals mainly have bilateral or mirror
symmetry
 SYMMETRY
2. Rotational Symmetry
- shape of objects still looks the same after
some rotation

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 SYMMETRY
• Line or bilateral • Rotational symmetry
symmetry
Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man

spiderwort starfish

with three-fold with five-fold

symmetry symmetry
SYMMETRY - Order of Rotation
120°
angle of rotation

A figure has a
rotational symmetry of
72° order n (n-fold
rotational symmetry) if
1/n of a complete turn
leaves the figure
unchanged.
SYMMETRY - Order of Rotation
How many times does
the pattern repeat?
6
What is its angle
snowflake
of rotation?

60°
 SPIRALS
-It is a curve which emanates from a point,
moving farther away as it evolves around
the point.
- It can be a logarithmic spiral ( growth
spiral)
-Is a self-similar spiral curve which often
appear in nature.
 SPIRALS
-It was first described by Rene Descartes
and later investigated by Jacob Bernoulli
TREES, FRACTALS
-Fractals is the newest and exciting branch of
Math.
-Is a curve or geometric figure, each part of
which has the same character as the whole.
-These are infinitely self-similar. Iterated
mathematical construct
-These are patters that basically occur in nature
FRACTALS
-It is a class of highly irregular shapes that
occur in nature or that are related to
continents, coastlines, clouds, river networks,
geological fault lines, mountains, animal
discoloration, snowflakes, crystals, blood
vessel branching and ocean waves.
WAVES AND DUNES
- Waves are
disturbances that
carry energy as they
move
- Dunes may form a
range of patterns
including crescents,
very long straight
lines, stars, domes,
parabolas.
BUBBLES AND FOAM
- A foam is a mass of
bubbles; it is of
different materials
that occur in nature
 TESSELATIONS
- Patterns formed by repeating tiles
over a flat surface
 CRACKS
- are linear opening that form in the
material to relieve stress.
-It indicates whether the material is
elastic or not.
 SPOTS AND STRIPES
- Formed by wave-like structures
- Parallel waves produce stipes
- Stripes can break up into spots (when
parallel waves becomes unstable)
 FIBONACCI NUMBER
•Another aspect in nature that
involves pattern is the Fibonacci
Numbers.
•Fibonacci Numbers are numbers in
the Fibonacci Sequence.
•These numbers are considered
nature’s numbering system.
Fibonacci Sequence
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=nt2OlMAJj6o
 Fibonacci Sequence

1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89…

- It is a series of numbers where a

number is found by adding up the
two numbers before it.
 Fibonacci Sequence
Let Fn represent the nth Fibonacci
number. Then the terms in the
Fibonacci sequence are given
by the recursive definition:

F1 = 1, F2 = 1 and Fn = Fn -1 + Fn -2
for n > 3
 Fibonacci Sequence
Example 1:
Use the definition of Fibonacci numbers to find the
seventh and eight Fibonacci numbers.
Fn = Fn -1 + Fn -2

F7 = F6 + F5 F8 = F7 + F6
F7 = 8 +5 F8 = 13 +8
F7 = 13 F8 = 21
 Fibonacci Sequence
Example 2:
Determine whether each of the following
statements about Fibonacci numbers is true or
false.
a. If n is even, then Fn is an odd number. FALSE
b. 2Fn - 2Fn - 2 = Fn + 1 , for n > 3. FALSE
c. 2Fn > Fn + 1 , for n > 3. TRUE

d. 2Fn + 4 = Fn + 3 , for n > 3. FALSE

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January 9, 2019
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patterns-and-
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e%20mathematics%20to%20describe%20actions.
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