Module 1

The Nature of Mathematics

At the end of the first module, you must have:

1. identified patterns in nature and regularities in the world;
2. articulated the importance of mathematics in one’s life;
3. argued about the nature of mathematics, what it is, how it is expressed, represented, and
used; and
4. expressed appreciation for mathematics as a human.

Mathematics is the language with which God wrote the

universe.
-Galileo Galilei

Introduction
The emergence of digital technology has sparked a monumental rise in the rate at which
we consume and produce data. Before the internet, it could take hours to get several volumes of
resources from the library for a research paper. Today, a few minutes (or seconds, depending on
the speed of your connection) using your mobile devices browser could get you the same
information, or even more. A few decades ago, it took hours for photographs to be printed and
shared, while now, it only takes a matter of seconds for your perfect selfie to be uploaded and
viewed by your relatives and friends on the other side of the world.
In fast-paced society, how often have you stopped to appreciate the beauty of the things
around you? Have you ever paused and pondered about the underlying principles that govern
the universe? How about the processes and mechanism that make our lives easier, if not more
comfortable? Most people do the same routine task every single day and the fundamental
concepts that make these activities possible are often overlooked.
As rational creatures, we also tend to identify and follow patterns, whether consciously
or subconsciously, because it feels natural, like our brain is hardwired to recognize them. Early
humans recognized the repeating interval of day and night, the cycles of the moon, the rising
and falling of tides, and the changing of the seasons. Awareness of these patterns essentially
aided humans with survival.
What do you think? Do you have also notice the patterns around you? What other
examples could you think of?
In this module, we will be looking at some of these patterns and regularities in the world
and how mathematics comes into play, both in nature and inhuman endeavours.

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Let us do this!
Look around your place. Using your mobile phone or any devices capture three (3) things of
certain patterns like Fibonacci number in fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants or animals that are
observable or present in your locality. Name each photo and determine what pattern it is.

Analysis
Based from the given activity, how did you identify these patterns in nature? How important to
study Mathematics?
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Lesson 1.1
Mathematics in our World

1.1. Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

In the most general sense of the word, patterns are regular, repeated or recurring forms
or designs. We see these every single day, from the look and layout of floor tiles, designs of
skyscrapers, to the way we tie our shoelace. Patterns indicate a sense of structure or
organization such that it would seem that only humans are capable of producing these intricate,
creative and amazing formations. It is from this perspective that some people see an “intelligent
design” in the way that nature is created.

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 “We live in a universe of patterns” (Stewart, 1995). This is how Stewart opened his book
Nature’s Numbers, which takes its readers on an intriguing and important journey into patterns
as it explores what mathematics is for and what it is about.
If we contract a set of elements or numbers in which all these elements or numbers are
related to each other in a specific rule, then this rule or manner is called a pattern. Pattern
connotes order, regularity and lawfulness. Studying patterns is an opportunity to observe,
hypothesize, experiment, discover, and create. That is why many results in mathematics come
about as generalizations of numerical and geometric patterns. By understanding regularities
based on the data gathered one can predict what comes next, estimate if the same pattern will
occur when variables are altered and begin to extend the pattern.
The following are examples of different patterns:
1. Logical Patterns. “Young children usually first look
at logical patterns. After all, making categories and
doing classifications comes before numeration. We
have to be able to tell which things are blocks
before we can learn to count blocks. One kind of
logical pattern deals with the characteristics of
various objects. Another kind deals with order:
there’s a sequence of objects and a pattern in the attribute the objects possess”
(Annenberg Foundation, 2017). Commonly used patterns include classification,
partition, chronology, cause/effect, problem/solution, if/then, and evaluation. As the
term “logic” implies, we use these patterns to think.

2. Geometric Patterns. A geometric pattern is a motif or design depicting abstract,

nonrepresentational shapes such as lines, circles, ellipses, triangles rectangles, and
polygons. Geometric patterns consist of a series of shapes. Patterns made from
shapes are similar to patterns made from numbers because the pattern is
determined by a rule. Below are examples of geometric patterns:

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 3. Number Patterns. Numbers are everywhere in our day to day lives. In real life, while
dealing with number, we often find different number patterns. A number pattern is
defined as an arrangement of number in such a way that it follows a particular
property or pattern. A pattern which involves numbers is said to be numeric pattern.
“Mathematics is especially useful when it helps you predict, and number pattern are
all about prediction. Recognizing number patterns is also an important problem
solving skill. If you see a pattern when you look systematically at specific examples,
you can use that pattern to generalize what you see into a broader solution to a
problem.” (Annenberg Foundation, 2017).

4. Word Patterns. Patterns can be an in language too! Often, in mathematics education,

we forget how many connections we can make to language arts. The metrical
patterns of poems and the
syntactic patterns of how we
make nouns and plural or verbs
tense are both word patterns,
and each supports
mathematical as well as natural
language understanding.
Language gives teachers of
multiple subjects an interesting way to cross disciplines. But understand the focus
here: It is not about how to communicate in mathematics; rather, it is about patterns
in form and in syntax, which lead directly to learning about language in general and
about machine communication in particular (Annenberg Foundation, 2017).

Mathematics in Nature
Pattern in nature are visible regularities of form found in the natural world. These
patterns recur in different contexts and can sometimes be modeled mathematically. Natural
patterns include symmetries, trees, spirals, meanders, waves, foams, tessellation, cracks and
stripes. The visible world is full of patterns that can be described mathematically. Such readily

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observable phenomena suggest that the beauty of nature is revealed by mathematics and the
beauty of mathematics is revealed by nature. (Adam, 2011)
Early Greek philosophers studied pattern, with Plato, Pythagoras, and Empedocles
attempting to explain order in nature. The modern understanding of visible patterns developed
gradually over time.
Below are types of patterns in nature:
1. Symmetry. In everyday language, symmetry refers to a sense of harmonious and
beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, “symmetry” is usually used to refer to
an object that is invariant under some transformations; including translation, reflection,
rotation or scaling. Symmetry is pervasive in living things. Animals mainly have bilateral
or mirror symmetry, as do the leaves of plants and some flowers such as orchid.

You can find symmetry in leaves, flower, insects, and animals. Can you think of any
examples?

2. Spiral. A spiral is a curved pattern that focuses on a center point and a series of circular
shapes that revolve around it. Examples of spirals are pine cones, pineapples, hurricanes.
The reason for why plants use a spiral forms because they are constantly trying to grow
but stay secure. A spiral shape causes plants to condense themselves and not take up as
much space, causing it to be stronger and more durable against the elements.

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 3. Fractals. A fractal is a never-ending pattern. Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that
are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process
over and over in an ongoing feedback loop. Driven by recursion, fractals are images of
dynamic systems – the pictures of Chaos. Geometrically, they exist in between our
familiar dimensions. Fractal patterns are extremely familiar, since nature is full of
fractals. For instance: trees, rivers, coastlines, mountains, clouds, seashells, hurricanes,
etc. Abstract fractals – such as the Mandelbrot Set – can be generated by a computer
calculating a simple equation over and over.

4. Tessellation. A tiling or tessellation of a flat surface is the covering of a plane using one
or more geometric shapes, called tiles with no overlaps and no gaps. In mathematics,
tessellations can be generalized to higher dimensions and a variety of geometries. 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 of tessellation in nature?

Have you ever thought about how nature likes to arrange itself in patterns in order to
act efficiently? Have you ever wonder why they form like the given examples above? Nothing in
nature happens without any reason, all of these patterns mentioned above have an important
reason to exist and they also happen to be beautiful to watch.

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 Republic of the Philippines
SOUTHERN LEYTE STATE UNIVERSITY – TOMAS OPPUS
San Isidro, Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte

ACTIVITY IN PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN NATURE AND THE WORLD

Name: __________________________________________________ Date: _______________________

Course & Section: _________________________ Score: _________________
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General Instructions:
a. Write all your answers in a clean sheet of bond paper.
b. Show all your solution (if necessary) and box your final answer.
c. Take a picture of your answer and send it through messenger.
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A. Determine the pattern and find the missing terms in each of the following sequences.
1. 2, 5, 10, 17, ____, 37, ____, 65, ____, ____, ____, 145,…
2. ____, 8, ____, 64, ____, 216, 343,…
3. 1, 1, 3, 5, 9, 17, 31, ____, ____, ____,…
4. 30, 22, 14, ____, ____, -10, -18, ____,…
5. 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, ____, ____, ____,…
6. 8, 5, 4, 9, 1, 7, ____, ____, ____, ____,
7. ____, 10, 11, 21, 31, 41, 1401, 16, 512
8. F, T, F, T, T, ____, ____, F, F, F, ____, S,…
9. J, F, M, A, M, ____, ____, ____,…
10. O, T, T, F, F, S, S, ____, ____, T, ____,..

B. Find the pattern and solve.

11. 2 ∗ 3 = 15 12. 4 ∗ 2 = 8 13. 3 ∗ 4 = 5
3 ∗ 4 = 28 5 ∗ 3 = 11 9∗1=2
4 ∗ 5 = 45 3 ∗ 5 = 13 6∗4=2
�ℎ��, 6 ∗ 2 = _____ �ℎ��, 2 ∗ 7 = _____ 9∗3=0
Then, 5 ∗ 8 = _____

C. Make a report about certain patterns (e.g., Fibonacci numbers in fruits, vegetables,
flower, or plants) observable or present in your locality. Take at least five (5) photo of it
and name what type of pattern it is.

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