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Geometry and Geometrical Patterns in Nature

Article · January 2015

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Vol. 3 No. 1 Jan. - June 2015 The Signage ISSN 2455 - 0051

Geometry and Geometrical Patterns in Nature

Mr. Dori Lal
Assistant Professor (Pedagogy of Mathematics)
TT&NFE (IASE), Faculty of Education,
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025

Abstract
Our nature is not just beautiful it’s also having the sense of mathematics even.
Geometry is present everywhere in nature, as we discover more and more about our
environment and our surroundings we see so many examples of geometrical concepts.
Whether, it is there in the footprints of human body or in the shape of a sail shell.
This article introduces readers to the beauty of nature as revealed by geometry and
the beauty of geometry as revealed in nature. Geometrical concepts of mathematics
such as shapes, parallel lines, symmetry, similarity and fractal can be easily observed
in nature. As we explore our nature, we will be amazed! with its surprised secret
mathematical concepts.

Introduction
Geometry is a Greek word meaning earth measure. The theorems and
geometric equations explain natural phenomena – such as the shape of an
insect’s eye, or the structure of a seashell and simultaneously bring beauty
to mathematics and logic to nature. As human beings, we have been
fascinated with geometrical shapes since the first record of our existence; a
fascination that translates into how we live, where we live, and even whom
we live with. But truth be told, humans are not the only ones who share this
fascination. Living things like orchids, hummingbirds and the peacock’s tail
have abstract designs with a beauty of form, pattern and color that artists
struggle to match.] The beauty that people perceive in nature has causes at
different levels, notably in the mathematics that governs what patterns can
physically form, and among living things in the effects of natural selection,
that govern how patterns evolve. From honeycomb to the scales of a fish, the
natural networks of our brains, all of life is composed of intricate patterns.
The geometric patterns found in nature provide an integral window into the
interconnected fabric of creation. Just think about a spider’s web. That is a
complicated geometric design. And it is created, usually, in a perfect manner.
A spider, using only his body, continually creates geometrically complex
advanced shapes that few, if any, human adults could perfectly duplicate,
without the aid of machines, or tools such as a pencil and ruler...and even
with a pencil and ruler, it would be very complicated, and possibly even
Vol. 3 No. 1 Jan. - June 2015 The Signage ISSN 2321 - 6530

impossible, for most people to exactly duplicate.

Examining such readily observable phenomena, this article introduces
readers to the beauty of nature as revealed by geometry and the beauty of
geometry as revealed in nature. Geometrical concepts of mathematics such as
shapes, parallel lines, symmetry, similarity and fractal can be easily observed
in nature.

Shapes in Our Nature

We also see different mathematical shapes in our nature. Some examples are
given below:
zz There is tessellation pattern of hexagonal shaped wax cells in a
honeycomb.

zz Sun and moon seem to be circular when we see them from the earth.
zz Our earth is an example of a different kind of a shape which is oblate
spheroid.

zz We can see so many spirals in our nature, for example – chameleon’s

tail, tomato, sunflower etc.
zz There is a helix in a climber plant.
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zz There is a shape of hyperbola in rainbow.

zz There is a spiral shape in human head, and fingers.

zz The orbit of a planet is an eclipse with the sun at one of the two foci.
zz Many fruits are spherical in shape. For example: sapodilla, plum.
zz Sand dunes in deserts may form Hyperbola, parabola and cone.
zz Volcanoes form cones, the steepness and height of which depends on
the runniness (viscosity) of the lava. Fast, runny lava forms flatter
cones; thick, viscous lava forms steep- sided cones.

Parallel Lines
In mathematics, parallel lines stretch to infinity, neither converging nor
diverging. These parallel lines in the Australian desert aren’t perfect- the
physical world rarely is.
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Angles
The amount of turns between two straight lines that have a common end
point. Angle can be finding out in nature, like
zz A starfish has each angle of 72 degree.

zz Two adjacent mountains form an angle of different degrees.

Vol. 3 No. 1 Jan. - June 2015 The Signage ISSN 2321 - 6530

zz Wheat’s plants always grow with the 90 degree angle.

zz Cockroach’s antenna makes an angle.

Symmetry
Symmetry is everywhere you look in nature. We can see different types of
symmetry in nature like
zz Reflectional symmetry: An object has reflectional symmetry if there
is a line of symmetry going through it which divides it into two sides
that are mirror images of one another.

zz Rotational symmetry: an object has rotational symmetry if the object

can be rotated about a fixed point without changing the overall shape.
 Star fish is an example of it.
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 Sanddollar has the rotational symmetry.

zz Translational symmetry: an object has translational symmetry if it

can be translated without changing its overall shape. Human footprints
are the example of it.

zz Helical symmetry: an object has helical symmetry if it can be

simultaneously translated and rotated in three dimensional spaces
along a line known as a screw axis.

zz Scale symmetry: an object has scale symmetry if it does not change

shape when it is expanded or contracted. Fractals also exhibit a form
of scale symmetry, when small portions of the fractal are similar in
shape to large portion.
Vol. 3 No. 1 Jan. - June 2015 The Signage ISSN 2321 - 6530

Similarity
Two figures are similar if you can get from one to another through some
combinations of translations, reflections, rotations and dilations ( so you can
scale up and down). We can see immense examples of similar things in our
nature. Few of them are:
zz All leaves of a tree are similar.
zz The shadow of a thing is of the similar shape of the thing itself.
zz All flowers of a kind are similar.
zz All wax-cells in a beehive are of similar shape i.e. hexagon.
zz We also see fractals in our nature and fractals are the best example of
similarity.

Fractal
Fractal is a mathematical set that typically displays self similar pattern which
means that they are “the same from near as well as from far”. The equation of
a fractal is always a differential equation.
zz We can see fractal in Romanesco Broccoli.
Vol. 3 No. 1 Jan. - June 2015 The Signage ISSN 2321 - 6530

zz Fern is a very good example of fractal.

zz Many natural objects, such as frost on the branches of a tree, show the
relationship where similarity holds at smaller and smaller scales.

Importance of fractal in teaching of mathematics

Fractal is itself a mathematical concept. We can also use this concept for
teaching other mathematical concepts.
zz Similarity: Fractal is a very good example of similarity. Fractal are
purely depends on similarity. We can teach similarity to our students
with the help of fractals.
zz Congruency: Similarity and “congruency” both concepts are
interrelated. During teaching the concept of congruency it is essential
to differentiate between similarity and congruency. The concept of
congruency and the difference between congruency and similarity can
be taught easily through fractal.
zz Area: By giving examples of fractals we can explain to our students
that if two figures are same it is not necessary that their area will also
be same.
zz Development of various skills: When we give the examples fractal
to our students they will observe them. Hence their observational skill
will enhance. Their critical thinking will develop. They can discover
fractal in other things and can also evaluate them.
Vol. 3 No. 1 Jan. - June 2015 The Signage ISSN 2321 - 6530

Tessellation
A tessellation is when we cover a surface with a pattern of flat shapes, and
there will be no overlaps or gaps. Tessellation is of two types
zz Regular tessellation: the pattern is identical at each vertex.

zz Semi-regular tessellation: tessellation is made of two or more regular

polygons. The pattern at each vertex must be the same.

Conclusion
Our nature is not just beautiful it’s also having the sense of mathematics
even. We took the examples of geometrical concepts in our nature. Geometry
is present everywhere in nature, as we discover more and more about our
environment and our surroundings we see so many examples of geometrical
concepts. Whether, it is there in the footprints of human body or in the shape
of a snail shell. Whether it is a shape of our earth or the shape of a fruit like
plum and sapodilla show the shape of sphere. Other shapes can also be explain
with the help of nature like rainbow for hyperbola shape, honeycomb cells
for the hexagon shape, climber plant for helix shape, fingers of human hands
show the shape of spiral, The beauty of the flowers, trees, even the rocks
upon which we walk is an example of symmetry. All the types of symmetry
can be found in nature like dog’s face is an example of reflectional symmetry,
rotational symmetry can be explain with the help of a picture of star fish,
Vol. 3 No. 1 Jan. - June 2015 The Signage ISSN 2321 - 6530

jelly fish, human footprints are the example of translational symmetry, helical
symmetry can be define with the help of peacock feathers, and the concept
of fractal is an example of scale symmetry, in which a small part is similar to
the overall shape. The concept of similarity is all around us. We can see it in
leaves of a plant, which are always similar to each other, and even both the
eyes of animals and human are show similarity, even fractal is a good example
of similarity also, like in romanesco broccoli, fern, etc. the concept of angle
can be seen in wheat’s plants with ground, and in cockroach’s antenna. Marks
on jaguar’s body, pineapple’s peel are an example of tessellation. Many other
concepts can also be defined with the help of nature like patterns, logarithm,
trigonometry etc.
We can find geometry in many more things in nature. Look around and see
what we can find. We will be amazed!

References
zz Dow R., Howard S. & Others; “Geometry in Nature” Retrieved from http://
www.docstoc.com/docs/90734974/Geometry
zz Milini- Math (2011). Applications of Trigonometry in Real life Retrieved
from http://malini-math.blogspot.in/2011/08/applications-of-trigonometry-in-
real.html
zz Tyson, P. (2011). Describing Nature with Math: How do scientists use
mathematics to define reality? And why? Retrieved from the NOVA website
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/describing-nature-math.html
zz https://mathisfun.com/geometry

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