MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD (MMW)

2nd Semester - Midterm Lectures

numbers, and the simplest of nature's

LESSON 1: PATTERNS AND NUMBERS IN patterns are numerical.
NATURE AND THE WORLD -​The phases of the moon make a
complete cycle from new moon to full
PATTERNS
moon and back again every
twenty-eight days.
●​The characterization of mathematics as
-​The year is three hundred and sixty-five
the "study of patterns" had been first
days long-roughly.
made by British mathematician, G.H.
-​People have two legs, cats have four,
Hardy.
insects have six, and spiders have eight.
●​A PATTERN is a visible regularity in the
-​Starfish have five arms (or ten, eleven,
world or in a man-made design. As such,
even seventeen, depending on the
the elements of a pattern repeat in a
species).
predictable manner. Patterns, in a
-​Clovers normally have three leaves: the
mathematical sense, refer to the study of
superstition that a four-leaf clover is
"tilings" "and wall-paper symmetries."
lucky reflects a deep-seated belief that
PROPERTIES OF A PATTERN exceptions to patterns are special.
-​In nearly all flowers, the number of
1.​ Repetitive petals is one of the numbers that occur
2.​ Cycle (patterns that goes around again in the strange sequence 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,
and again) 34, 55, 89.
3.​ Commonalities (common features)
4.​ Movement (e.g., pattern of walking) TWO TYPES OF PATTERNS

NATURAL ORDER 1.​ Fractals - geometric shapes that repeat

their structure on ever-finer scales. (the
●​The universe is full of patterns. next pattern is predictable)
-​The stars move in circles every night. 2.​ Chaos - a kind of apparent randomness
-​Seasons cycle at yearly intervals. whose origins are entirely deterministic.
-​No two snowflakes are ever exactly the (unpredictable patterns)
same, but they all have six-fold
symmetry. TWO KINDS OF PATTERNS
-​Tigers and zebras are covered in
1.​ Natural - naturally existing in nature
patterns of stripes, leopards and hyenas
2.​ Man-made - human made
are covered in patterns of spots.
-​Intricate trains of waves march across Note: an example of geometric patterns that are
natural are honeycombs.
the oceans; very similar trains of sand
dunes march across the desert. MARGIN OF ERROR
-​Colored arcs of light adorn the sky in
the form of rainbows, and a bright ●​Range of uncertainty or variability
circular halo sometimes surrounds the around an estimate or measurement
moon on winter nights. ●​Nothing would be a 100% (99.99…%)
●​We call it MATHEMATICS
-​Using mathematics to organize and GEOMETRIC PATTERNS
systematize our ideas about patterns,
we have discovered a great secret. ●​The main shapes that appealed to
-​Nature's patterns are not just there to mathematicians were very simple ones:
be admired, they are vital clues to the triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons,
rules that govern natural processes circles, ellipses, spirals, cubes, spheres,
-​Pattern is Math; Math is Pattern cones, and so on.
●​Patterns possess utility as well as ●​All of these shapes can be found in
beauty. nature, although some are far more
-​Once we have learned to recognize a common, or more evident, than others.
background pattern, exceptions
suddenly stand out. PATTERNS OF MOVEMENTS
-​Against the circling background of
stars, a small number of stars that move ●​In the human walk, the feet strike the
quite differently beg to be singled out ground in a regular rhythm:
for special attention. left-right-left-right-left-right.
-​The simplest mathematical objects are ●​When a four-legged creature-a horse,

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 say-walks, there is a more complex but (𝑛−1)
equally rhythmic pattern.
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 × 𝑟

LESSON 2 : THE NATURE OF Where;

MATHEMATICS -​n - position of term you are solving
-​ 𝑎1- first term in the sequence
MATHEMATICAL PATTERNS
-​r - common ratio of the second and first
I. ARITHMETIC SEQUENCE term (𝑎 ÷ 𝑎 )
2 1

●​A sequence of numbers such that the Examples:

difference of any two successive numbers 1.​ Find the 9th term in the given
is a constant. sequence.
●​Finding the nth term of the Arithmetic 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, …
series n=9
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑 𝑎1= 3
Where; r=𝑎 ÷𝑎 =6÷3=2
2 1
-​n - position of term you are solving Formula and Sol’n:
-​ 𝑎1- first term in the sequence (𝑛−1)
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 × 𝑟
-​d - common difference of the second
(9−1)
and first term (𝑎 − 𝑎 ) 𝑎9 = 3 × 2
2 1
(8)
𝑎9 = 3 × 2
Examples:
1.​ Find the 10th term in the given 𝑎9 = 3 × 256
sequence. 𝑎9 = 768
2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, … 2.​ Find the 17th term in the given
n = 10 sequence.
𝑎1= 2 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, …
d=𝑎 −𝑎 =5-2=3 n=9
2 1
𝑎1= 3
Formula and Sol’n:
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑 r=𝑎 ÷𝑎 =6÷3=2
2 1
𝑎10 = 2 + (10 − 1)3 Formula and Sol’n:
(𝑛−1)
𝑎10 = 2 + (9)3 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 × 𝑟
𝑎10 = 2 + (27) 𝑎17 = 3 × 2
(17−1)

𝑎10 = 29 (16)
𝑎17 = 3 × 2
2.​ Find the 26th term in the given
sequence. 𝑎17 = 3 × 65, 536
7, 11, 15, 19, … 𝑎17 = 196, 608
n = 26
𝑎1= 7 III. FIBONACCI SEQUENCE
d = 𝑎 − 𝑎 = 11 - 7 = 4
2 1
●​A sequence of numbers in which each
Formula and Sol’n: successive number in the sequence is
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑 obtained by adding the two previous
𝑎26 = 7 + (26 − 1)4 numbers in the sequence.
●​Finding different ways to find the
𝑎26 = 7 + (25)4
Fibonacci Number:
𝑎26 = 7 + (100) 1.​ 𝐹 = 𝐹 +𝐹
𝑛 𝑛−1 𝑛−2
𝑎26 = 107
Where;
-​n - position of term you are solving (n>1)
II. GEOMETRIC SEQUENCE -​ 𝑎1- first term in the sequence
●​A sequence such that any element after -​d - common difference of the second
the first term is obtained by multiplying and first term (𝑎 − 𝑎 )
2 1
the preceding number by a constant
called common ratio. Examples:
●​Finding the nth term of the Geometric 1.​ Find the 13th term in the given
sequence sequence.

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 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89. … nouns (it, he, she, represents unknown
etc.) -ex. x, y, z, etc.
n = 13

Formula and Sol’n: CONNECTIVES OPERATIONS

𝐹𝑛 = 𝐹𝑛−1 + 𝐹𝑛−2 - used to connect - mathematical
words and phrases operations
𝐹13 = 𝐹13−1 + 𝐹13−2 (and, but, or, etc.) - ex. +, -, ×, etc.
𝐹13 = 𝐹12 + 𝐹11
𝐹13 = 89 + 55 VERB SYMBOLS
- action words - symbols such as
𝐹13 = 144 =, ≠, ≤, ≥, >, <, ∼, ≈

2.​
( 1+ 5
2 ) BASIC CONCEPTS OF MATHEMATICAL
5 LANGUAGE
Example:
1.​ Find the 20th term in the given SETS
sequence
●​Any well-defined collection of objects;
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, …
these objects are called members or
n = 20
elements.
Formula and Sol’n:
𝑛
( 1+ 5
2 )
5
20
( 1+ 5
2 ) =
●​To denote the membership we used the
6, 765. 00003 ≈ 6766 given symbols (e.g., Colors (C), therefore
5
C = {red, blue, yellow, orange, brown, …} )
●​Finite set - countable (e.g., colors in the
LESSON 3: MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE
rainbow: C = {red, orange, yellow, green,
COMPARISON OF ENGLISH AND THE blue, indigo, violet})
MATHEMATICAL LANGUAGE -​ If less than 10, list all
●​Infinite set - uncountable (e.g., colors)
ENGLISH MATHEMATICS -​ If more than 10, list only 5 followed
by an ellipsis (...). (e.g., Fruits:
SENTENCE EQUATION F = {apple, pineapple, orange,
- expresses a - complete thought watermelon, strawberry, … }
complete thought and correct Note: applicable only in tabular method
arrangement of
math symbols METHODS OF DESCRIBING SETS
- ex. 3x + 2 = 11
A. TABULAR OR ROSTER METHOD
PHRASE EXPRESSION -​List of the elements of the group
- group of word but - does not have Examples:
does not contain equal sign, only a.​ Set of Colors (C):
subject and verb involves operation, -​C = {red, blue, yellow, orange, brown, …}
numbers, and b.​ Set of Planets in the Solar system (P)
variables -​P = {Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
- ex. 3x + 2 Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune}
NOUN CONSTANT B. SET BUILDER NOTATION
- identifies a person, - numbers that -​States the common properties of the
place, things, etc. serves as the elements of the group
subject of interest
- ex. 7, 8√2, etc. Examples:
a.​ P = {Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
PRONOUN VARIABLE Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune}
- used to replace - symbols that -​P = { x|x is a planet in the solar system }

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b.​ E = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, …} EXAMPLE PROBLEMS OF MEAN,
-​E = { x|x is an even number } MEDIAN, AND MODE

LESSON 4: MEASURES OF CENTRALITY,

LOCATION, AND VARIATION

MEAN

●​The mean of the set of data is the sum of

the values divided by the total number of
observations
●​It is denoted by the symbol x
̄ (x-bar)
●​Formula:
Σ𝑥 a. Mean
𝑥̄ = 𝑛 Σ𝑥 69
𝑥̄ = 𝑛 = 30
MEDIAN 𝑥̄ = 2.30
b. Median
●​The median is the middle value when the (𝑛+1) (30+1) 31
data are ordered in ascending order
𝑥̂ = 2 = 2 = 2
●​It is denoted by the symbol x
̂ (x-bar) 𝑥̂ = 15. 5 ≈ 15𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 16𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
●​If there are two middle values in a set of 2+2
≈ 2 ≈ 2
data, the median is halfway between
c. Mode
them.
●​Formula: 𝑥̃ = 2 (unimodal)
(𝑛+1)
𝑥̂ = 2
MODE

●​The mode of a set of discrete data is the

value that occurs most frequently
●​It is denoted by the symbol x
̃ (x-tilde)
●​Types of mode:
a.​ Unimodal - 1
b.​ Bimodal - 2
c.​ Multimodal - 3 or more

WEIGHTED MEAN

1.​ Multiply each data point (x) by its

weight (f)
2.​ Add all the weighted values (x*f)
together
3.​ Divide the sum of the weighted values
(x*f) by the sum of the weights (f)

x f x*f
data weights/ weighted
frequency value

7 1 7
8 1 8
9 2 18
10 2 20
12 1
12
13 1
13

total 8 78

Weighted mean = 78/8 = 9.75

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