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Mathematics Is Everywher1

Mathematics is everywher1

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Mary Ann Buena
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16 views3 pages

Mathematics Is Everywher1

Mathematics is everywher1

Uploaded by

Mary Ann Buena
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mathematics is everywhere. It is in the objects we create, in the works of art we admire.

Although we may not notice it, mathematics is also present in the nature that surrounds us, in
its landscapes and species of plants and animals, including the human species. Our attraction
to other humans and even our mobility depend on it. But how does this happen?

From the structure of buildings to the discovery of new planets, from trade to fashion and new
technologies, mathematics has always served as an important tool in the advancement of
science and technology, in fields as diverse as Engineering, Biology, Philosophy and Arts. And
it is also present in nature, concealing- and revealing- its charms in various forms, intriguing
researchers and inspiring poets. One of the ideas that best embodies mathematics in all its
elegance is the concept of symmetry.

The roof of the Lotfollah mosque in Isfahan (Iran) is a great example of symmetry endowed with
beauty in architecture

Harmony and beauty


An object is symmetrical when there is "harmony in the proportions" of its parts in relation to
the whole: height, width and length are balanced. Strictly associated with harmony and beauty,
symmetry is also a decisive concept in theories about nature. Ancient Greece was apparently
the first place where this idea had room to develop.

The Stanford Dictionary of Philosophy reminds us that in Timaeus, the work of Greek
philosopher Plato (429-347 BCE or Before the Common Era), for example, regular geometric
forms take center stage in the doctrine of natural elements because of the proportions they
contain and the beauty of their forms. The four elements - Fire, Water, Earth and Air - could
be represented by regular geometric shapes (with polyhedrons of four, twenty, six and eight
equal sides, respectively). The Universe could also be represented by a 12-sided polyhedron -
or a symmetrical dodecahedron. When particles with these different forms are combined, they
give rise to all the natural elements we know. Although the word or concept of "symmetry" did
not exist in Greek vocabulary in the days of Plato, the concept was already developing. The
Greek noun "summetria", which literally means "of the same size", was already being used to
refer to "proportion”.

The golden ratio


Some say that the size and proportion of perfect solids described by Plato are related to each
other - the sides of particles of fire, water, and air could be combined together because they
are proportional. They were described as having a "golden proportion" among themselves - or
a type of symmetry that marks the growth rate in the development of several species. The
leaves of a tree, for example, multiply more or less at this speed after they sprout: 2, 3, 5, 8,
13, 21, 34, 55 ... and so on. The last number is always the sum of the two preceding numbers -
and when we divide each number by its predecessor, the result will be very close to 1.6180, or
what mathematicians like the Italian Leonardo Fibonacci (1175 - 1250) consider as "the golden
proportion”. When applied to a succession of proportional squares within a rectangle, this
sequence of numbers - always with the golden ratio between them - generates a "golden
rectangle”. If we draw a line, formed by quarters of a circle, following the progression of the
figures formed in it, we have the "golden spiral", as you can see in the drawing on the side.

In nature, this type of symmetry marks the growth rhythm in the development of several
species - and is also perceptible to the naked eye, fitting into the rules that determine the
conception of "beauty" in art. The greatest example of the materialization of the golden spiral
in nature is perhaps the nautilus, a prehistoric mollusk that still has living 'relatives' in the
Pacific Ocean.

Same, but different?

We can see several other forms of symmetry in nature. There is a form of bilateral symmetry,

like the reflection of an image in a lake that can be divided into two identical parts; and it can

also be radial when the image forms around a central point and "radiates" to all sides, such as

an open flower or a yellow dandelion. Symmetry also manifests itself in complex forms such as

fractals, in which a structure looks similar to the whole on any scale. Also, in the case of

sounds and waves of the same frequency, we can say with certainty that sounds and lights are

also symmetrical. In the natural world, symmetries are not completely perfect and harbor some

visible imperfections.

Bilateral beauty

One of the main symmetries in nature is bilateral. We see how one side of the body of a plant

or animal is a very close copy of the other, as if it were a plane, able to split the image into two

sides - or two almost perfectly reflected images. Not infrequently, this morphology has a clear

function: for example, it would be very difficult for a bird to fly straight if its wings weren't the

same size.

Spheres, spheres

An object is spherically symmetrical if it can be cut into two equal halves - regardless of the

direction of the cut, as long as it passes through its center. Fruits like oranges and some

lemons have a shape that is very close to being spherical.


Radial shapes

A body is radially symmetrical if you can cut it several times and generate equal pieces. Or if it

is possible to "rotate" it around a central axis and get a circle effect. The main difference

compared to spherical shapes is that in the case of spheres there is no "up" or "down" side, as

in a more or less flat plane. In radial forms, these sides exist.

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