LESSON 1.

0 – MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD

OVERVIEW

Mathematics in the Modern World is about mathematics as a system of knowing or understanding our surroundings. It
provides glimpses into the nature of mathematics and how it is used to understand our world. This understanding, in
conjunction with other disciplines, contributes to a more complete portrait of the world. Its central purpose is to explore
those facets of mathematics that will strengthen our quantitative understandings of our environs.

Nature’s Numbers

Mathematics is perhaps NOT THE FIRST SUBJECT that springs to mind when thinking of nature, but many modern
researchers have endeavored to explain nature in mathematical terms, and some inroads have been made. There are
certain areas of mathematics that impact upon various aspects of nature. In particular, the following areas are worthy
of note:
a) Fractals – A term contracted from the words 'Fraction' and 'Dimensional'. Fractals explain why some systems
in nature are 'self-similar', such as ferns.
b) The Butterfly Effect & Strange Attractors – This type of mathematics gives us clues about the flow of water
and the nature of the weather system.
c) Affine Transformations – The processes of reflection, rotation and scaling are seen to be operating in nature
to generate biological forms.
d) Geometry & Symmetry – Basic geometrical figures can be found in nature, such as the hexagonal
arrangement of a snowflake.
e) Spirals – Mathematical spirals are seen to occur naturally in snail shells, nautilus, in galaxies and in DNA.
f) Fibonacci Numbers & The Golden Ratio – Number series can indicate the pattern of growth in rabbit
populations and terms may be found in the number of petals of a flower.
g) Population Dynamics – Certain areas of math such as differential calculus can be shown to govern how
populations grow and collapse.
h) Animal Skin markings – The mathematics of 'Reaction Diffusion' can explain the patterns on animal skins.

1.1 Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

We see patterns every day – from the layout of floor tiles, designs of skyscrapers, to the way we tie our shoelaces.
Studying patterns help students in identifying relationships and finding logical connections to form generalizations and
make predictions. In the general sense of the word, patterns are regular, repeated, or recurring forms or designs.

Here is an illustration of a pattern in a sequence of number. What number comes next in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, _? Looking at the
given numbers, the sequence is increasing, with each term being two more than the previous term. Therefore, the next
term should be 11 as we are given previous number 9 plus 2 equals 11.

Patterns indicate a sense of structure and organization THAT IT SEEMS 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 forms.

Patterns are commonly observed in natural objects, such as the six-fold symmetry of snowflakes, the hexagonal
structure and formation of honeycombs, the tiger’s stripes and hyena’s spots, the number of seeds in sunflower, the
spiral of a snail’s shell, and the number of petals of flowers. Humans are hard wired to recognize patterns and by
studying them, we discovered the underlying mathematical principles behind nature’s designs.

Snowflakes and Honeycombs

It must be noted that symmetry indicates that you can draw an imaginary line across an object and the resulting parts
are mirror images of each other. The figure in the slide is symmetric about the axis indicated by the dotted line. Note

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that the left and right portions are exactly the same. This type of symmetry, known as line or bilateral symmetry, is
evident in most animals, including humans. Look in a mirror and see how the left and right sides of your face closely
match.

There are other types of symmetry depending on the number of sides or faces that are symmetrical. A starfish has a
five-fold symmetry. Note that if you rotate the starfish by several degrees, you can still achieve the same appearance
as the original position. This is known as rotational symmetry. The smallest angle that a figure can be rotated while still
preserving the original formation is called the angle of rotation. The angle of rotation for the starfish is 720. A more
common way of describing rotational symmetry is by order 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 the following formula:
3600
Angle of rotation =
n
Let’s consider a snowflake.

It can be observed that the patterns on a snowflake repeat six times, indicating that there is a six-fold symmetry. To
determine the angle of rotation, we simply divide 3600 by 6 to get 600. Many combinations and complex shapes of
snowflakes may occur, which lead some people to think that “no two are alike”. If you look closely, however, many
snowflakes are not perfectly symmetric due to the effects of humidity and temperature on the ice crystal as it forms.

Another marvel of nature’s design is the structure and shape of a honeycomb. Despite their very small size, the bees
are able to produce such arrangement while humans would generally need the use of a ruler and compass to
accomplish the same feat. It is observed that such formation enables the bee colony to maximize their storage of
honey using the smallest amount of wax.

Using several coins of the same size, let us try to cover as much area of a piece of paper with coins. If you arrange the
coins in a square formation, there are still plenty of spots that are exposed. Following the hexagonal formation,
however, you will notice that more area will be covered. We can conclude then that hexagonal formations are more
optimal in making use of the available space. These are referred to as packing problems. Packing problems involve
finding the optimum method of filling up a given space such as a cubic or spherical container. The bees have
instinctively found the best solution, evident in the hexagonal construction of their hives. These geometric patterns are
not only simple and beautiful, but also optimally functional

Tiger’s Stripes and Hyena’s Spots

Patterns are also exhibited in the external appearance of animals. We are familiar with how a tiger looks – distinctive
reddish-orange fur and dark stripes. Hyenas, another predator from Africa, are also covered in patterns of spots. These

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seemingly random designs are believed to be governed by mathematical equations. According to a theory by Alan
Turing, the man famous for breaking the Enigma code during World War II, chemical reactions and diffusion
processes in cells determine these growth patterns. In other words, the mathematics of 'Reaction Diffusion' can
explain the patterns on animal skins.

Tiger Hyena

The Sunflower

Looking at a sunflower up close, you will notice that there is a definite pattern of clockwise and counterclockwise arcs
or spirals extending outward from the center of the flower. This is another demonstration of how nature works to
optimize the available space. This arrangement allows the sunflower seeds to occupy the flower head in a way that
maximizes their access to light and necessary nutrients.

The Sunflower The Snail’s Shell

The Snail’s Shell

We are also very familiar with spiral patterns. The most common spiral patterns can be seen in whirlpools and in the
shells of snails and other similar mollusks. Snails are born with their shells, called protoconch, which start out as fragile
and colorless. Eventually, these original shells harden as the snails consume calcium. As the snails grow, their shells
also expand proportionately so that they can continue to live inside their shells. This process results in a refined spiral
structure that is even more visible when the shell is sliced. This figure, called an equiangular spiral, follows the rule 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. This is another example of how nature seems to follow a certain set of
rules governed by mathematics.

Flower Petals

Flowers are easily considered as things of beauty. Their vibrant colors and fragrant odors make them very appealing
as gifts or decorations. If you look more closely, you will note that different flowers have different number of petals.
Take the iris and trillium, for example. Both flowers have only 3 petals. Flowers with five petals are said to be the most
common. These include buttercup, columbine, and hibiscus. Among those flowers with eight petals are clematis and
delphinium, while ragwort and marigold have thirteen. These numbers are all Fibonacci numbers which we will
discuss later.

Iris Buttercup

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 Clematis Ragwort

World Population

World leaders, sociologists, and anthropologists are interested in studying population, including its growth.
Mathematics can be used to model population growth. The formula for exponential growth is A = Pe where A is
rt

the size of the population after it grows, P is the initial number of people, r is the rate of growth, t is the time, and e is
the Euler’s constant with an approximate value of 2.718. Plugging in values to this formula would result in the
population size after time t with a growth rate of r.

Example

The exponential growth model A = 30e0.02t describes the population of a city in the Philippines in thousands, t years
after 1995.

In this problem, we are asked to answer the following:

Let us now focus in solving the first task … that is … what was the population of the city in 1995?

Since our exponential growth model describes the population in t years after 1995, we consider 1995 as the start of
counting the number of years, and therefore, we can take the time variable t equals zero with the initial number of
people, in thousand units, denoted by P equals 30 and a given rate of growth r equals 0.02. We can now substitute all
of these values and we come up with a working equation – A equals thirty times the Euler’s constant e raised to 0.02
times zero. The result is A, the size of the population, equals 30 in thousand units. Therefore, the city population in
1995 was 30,000.

(a) Since our exponential growth model describes the population t years after 1995, we consider 1995 as t = 0 and
then solve for A, our population size.

A = 30 e0.02t = 30 e0.02 (0) = 30 e0

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Let us now focus on solving the second task, that is, what will be the population of the city in 2017?

Since the start of the population growth was in 1995 with initial city population then at 30,000, the variable time t is
equal to 22 years. These values are now sufficient for us to lay down the working equation as A equals 30 times the
Euler’s constant e raised to 0.02 time 22. The computation results in A equals 46.5813 in thousand units. Therefore,
the city population would be about 46, 581 in 2017.

(b) The population of the city in 2017, in which t = 22, is

A = 30 e0.02t = 30 e0.02 (22) = 30 e0.44