WIT.B.

23
Issue: 2
Revision: 0
Approved: President
WESTERN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Date: November 24, 2014
LUNA ST., LA PAZ, ILOILO CITY P.O. Box 258 ILOILO CITY
PHILIPPINES 5000 PHILIPPINES 5000
TELEPHONE Nos.: 3200259 3201475 3200902 3209767 3209853 3209456
FAX No. +6333 3201484 Globe-Islacom No. 5087151
Website: www.wit.edu.ph E-mail: [email protected]

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

MATHEMATICS IN THE
MODERN WORLD

MODULE 2

________________________
Name of Student

_______________________________________
Course and Year

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Prepared by:
Prof. Ninfa Sua-Sotomil
Josefino Darcy Balasoto
 ABOUT THE COURSE

Course Number: Math 1

Course Title: Mathematics in the Modern World
Course Description: This course deals with the nature of mathematics, appreciation of its practical
and intellectual and aesthetic dimensions, and application of mathematical tools in
daily life.
The course begins with an introduction to the nature of mathematics as an
exploration of pattern (in nature and the environment) and as an application of
inductive and deductive reasoning. By exploring these topics, students are
encouraged to go beyond the typical understanding of mathematics as merely a set
of formulas but as a source of aesthetics in patterns of nature, for example, and a
rich language in itself (and of science) governed by logic and reasoning.
The course then proceeds to survey ways in which mathematics provide a tool for
understanding and dealing with various aspects of present – day living, such as
managing personal finances, making social choices, appreciating geometric designs,
understanding codes used in data transmission and security, and dividing limited
resources fairly. These aspects will provide opportunities for actually doing
mathematics in a broad range of exercises.
Pre-requisite: None
Credit Units: 3 Units
Credit Hours: 54 hours per semester or 3 hours per week for 18 weeks

Course Outline
Section I. The Nature of Mathematics
1. Mathematics in our World
 The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio.
 Mathematics helps organize patterns and regularities in the world.
 Mathematics helps predict the behavior of nature and phenomenon in the world.
 Mathematics helps control nature and occurrences in the world for our own ends.
 Mathematics has numerous applications in the world making it indispensable

References:
CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013. (4 July 2013). General Education Curriculum:
Holistic understandings, intellectual and civic competencies
Nocon R. et al. (2018). Essential Mathematics for the Modern World. Quezon City: C & E Publishing,
Inc.

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Prepared by:
Prof. Ninfa Sua-Sotomil
Josefino Darcy Balasoto
 SESSION 2. THE FIBONACCI SEQUENCE AND THE GOLDEN RATIO

Congratulations, learner! I hope that you had appreciated

mathematics as a study of patterns, and understood the
significance of patterns in your daily lives and future
careers. This time, we will encounter a pattern that
predominates a lot of natural occurrences, and an insight
that comes from this pattern. Learning this lesson will
provide a higher level for your cognitive abilities to advance.
May you comprehend the sequence that is simple in one
perspective and confounding in the other.

The Fibonacci Sequence

13 – 3 – 2 – 21 – 1 – 1 – 8 – 5
O, Draconian devil!
Oh, lame saint!

Harvard University Professor Robert Langdon, the hero of Dan Brown’s best–selling novel The
Da Vinci Code, was initially baffled by the message scrawled in invisible ink on the floor of the Louvre
in Paris by a dying man with a passion for secret codes.
Langdon, whose specialty is religious symbology, soon figured out that the words are a pair of
anagrams for “Leonardo da Vinci” and “the Mona Lisa.” But what about those numbers? They may
have puzzled Langdon for a while, but any mathematician will recognize them at once. They are the
first eight members of the Fibonacci sequence, written in a jumbled order. A young French
codebreaker named Sophie Neveu made the same observation and explained that the Fibonacci
sequence is one of the most famous mathematical sequences.
The Fibonacci numbers are the numbers in the following integer sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,
34, 55, 89, 144, …
The Fibonacci sequence is named after Leonardo of Pisa, also known as Fibonacci, who first
observed the pattern while investigating how fast rabbits could breed under ideal circumstances.
Fibonacci’s 1202 book Liber Abaci introduced the sequence to Western European mathematics,
although it had been described earlier in Indian Mathematics.
By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence are 1 and 1, and each subsequent
number is the sum of the previous two. In mathematical terms, the sequence 𝐹𝑛 of Fibonacci numbers
is defined by the recurrence relation 𝐹𝑛 = 𝐹𝑛−1 + 𝐹𝑛−2 , with seed values 𝐹1 = 1 and 𝐹2 = 1
To find the 𝑛𝑡ℎ Fibonacci number without using the recursion formula, the following is evaluated
using a calculator:
𝑛 𝑛
1 + √5 1 − √5
( 2 ) − ( 2 )
𝐹𝑛 =
√5
This form is known as the Binet form of the 𝑛 Fibonacci number.
𝑡ℎ

Example: Use Binet’s formula to determine the 25th, 30th, and the 50th Fibonacci numbers.
Solution:
𝐹25 = 75,025
𝐹30 = 832,040
𝐹50 = 1.26 𝑥 1010

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Prof. Ninfa Sua-Sotomil
Josefino Darcy Balasoto
 The Fibonacci sequence occurs many times in nature. Take a look at sunflowers. In particular,
pay attention to the arrangement of the seeds in its head. Do you notice that they form spirals? In
certain species, there are 21 spirals in the clockwise direction and 34 spirals in the counter clockwise
direction.
Depending on the species, you can count 34 and 55, or 55 and 89, or 89 and 144. It seems that
this arrangement keeps the seeds uniformly packed no matter how large the seed head is.
The numbers 21, 34, 55, 89, and 144 are the eight to twelfth numbers of the Fibonacci sequence.
Fibonacci numbers can also be found in sneezewort (harangan in Tagalog: found in Cagayan,
Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Rizal, Laguna, and Lanao Province), where a pattern can be observed in
the growth of the stem and leaves. If the numbers of branches are counted in each section, the
counted numbers are all Fibonacci numbers. This is also true for the number of leaves in each stage.
The same natural phenomenon can be observed in the number of petals in daisies, cauliflower
florets, spirals in pine cones, and the bands wining around pineapples.
The Fibonacci numbers are studied as part of number theory. Applications include computer
algorithms such as Fibonacci search technique and the Fibonacci heap data structure, as well as
graphs called Fibonacci cubes used for interconnecting parallel and distributed systems.
These numbers are also known to possess remarkable numerical properties. For example, did
you know that the sums and differences of Fibonacci numbers are also Fibonacci numbers? Or that
the ratios of Fibonacci numbers converge to a particular number? Or that any four consecutive
Fibonacci numbers can be combined to form a Pythagorean triple? Or that the greatest common
divisor of two Fibonacci numbers is another Fibonacci number?

The Golden Ratio

In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in a golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the
ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities
The golden ration is often symbolized by the Greek letter ∅. It is the number ∅ = 1.61803…, and
1+√5
the irrational number .
2
Leonardo da Vinci has incorporated geometry in many of his paintings, with the golden ratio just
being one of his many mathematical tools. Experts agree that he probably thought the golden ratio
made his paintings more attractive. However, he was not the only one to use it in artworks.
Fibonacci numbers are intimately connected with the golden ratio. To demonstrate this, try to
divide any number in the Fibonacci sequence by the one before it, and tabulate the results.
1 13
1
=1 8
= 1.625
2 21
1
=2 13
= 1.615385 …
3 34
2
= 1.5 21
= 1.619048 …
5 55
3
= 1.6666 … 34
= 1.617647 …
8 144
5
= 1.6 89
= 1.617978 …
Observe that the answers converge to 1.61803

Activity:
The Golden Ratio and the Human Body
Measure the following:
 Distance from the ground to your navel
 Distance from your navel to the top of your head
 Distance from the ground to your knees
 Length of your hand
 Distance from your wrist to your elbow.
Now, calculate the following ratios and write the results in the table below:
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙
1. 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙

2. 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑠

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Prepared by:
Prof. Ninfa Sua-Sotomil
Josefino Darcy Balasoto
 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑙𝑏𝑜𝑤
3. 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑

Ratio Ratio Ratio Ratio Ratio

1 2 3 4 5

Can you see anything special about these ratios?

Mathematics for Organization

A lot of events happen around us. In the blink of an eye, several children have already been born,
liters of water have been consumed, or thousands of tweets have been posted. For us to make sense
of all available information, we need mathematical tools to help us make sound analysis and better
decisions. For instance, a particular store can gather data on the shopping habits of its customers
and make necessary adjustments to help drive sales. Scientists can plot bird migration routes to
help conserve endangered animal populations. Social media analysts can crunch all on line postings
using software to gauge the netizen’s sentiments on particular issues or personalities.
Mathematics for Prediction
It is sometimes said that history repeats itself. As much as we can use mathematical models
using existing data to generate analysis and interpretations, we can also use them to make
predictions. Applying the concept of probability, experts can calculate the chance of an event
occurring. The weather is a prime example. Based on historical patterns, meteorologists can make
forecasts to help us prepare for our day – to – day activities. They can also warn us of weather
disturbances that can affect our activities for weeks or months. Astronomers also use patterns to
predict the occurrence of meteor showers or eclipses. In 2017, announcements were made about
heavenly phenomena such as the Draconid Meteor Shower and “The Great American Eclipse.” They
were able to tell when these phenomena would occur and where would be the best places to view
them.
Mathematics for Control
We have demonstrated by means of examples around us that patterns are definitely present in
the universe. There seems to be an underlying mathematical structure in the way that natural objects
and phenomenon behave. While photographers could capture a single moment through a snapshot,
videographers could record events as they unfold. Painters and sculptors could create masterpieces
in interpreting their surroundings, poets could use beautiful words to describe an object, and
musicians could capture and reproduce sounds that they hear. These observations of nature; as well
as their interactions and relationships, could be more elegantly described by means of mathematical
equations. As stated by astrophysicist Brian Greene, “With a few symbols on a page, you can describe
a wealth of physical phenomena.
It is interesting then to ponder on how mathematics, an invention of the human mind, seems to
permeate the natural laws that hold the universe together. There have been instances when a natural
phenomenon has been speculated to exist because mathematics says so but no hard evidence has
been found to support its existence. Such phenomena were proven to exist only when advancement
s in technology have allowed us to e4xpand our horizons. For example, in 1916, Albert Einstein
hypothesized the existence of gravitational waves based on his theory of general relativity. This is
when “ripples” are formed in the fabric of space – time due to large and violent cosmic events, very
much like when a pebble is thrown on a stagnant pond. About a hundred years later, the Laser
Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced that if found evidence of this
phenomenon.
Through the use of mathematics, man is also able to exert control mover himself and the effects
of nature. The threat of climate change and global warming has been the subject of much debate
over the years. It is believed that unless man changes his behaviour, patterns are said to indicate
that sea levels could rise to catastrophic levels as the polar caps melt due to the increase in global
temperatures. To ensure that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are kept that would
not interfere with the climate system, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) was signed in 1992 and has 197 parties as of December 2015.

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Prof. Ninfa Sua-Sotomil
Josefino Darcy Balasoto
Mathematics is Indispensable
How it is possible that mathematics, a product of human thought that is independent of
experience, fits so excellently the objects of reality?
- Albert Einstein
It was highlighted how mathematics plays a huge role in the underpinnings of our world. We have
seen it in living creatures and natural phenomena. We have also looked at examples of how
mathematical concepts could be applied. Whether you are on your way to becoming a doctor, an
engineer, an entrepreneur, or a chef, a knowledge of mathematics will be helpful. At the most basic
level, logical reasoning and critical thinking are crucial skills that are needed in any endeavour. As
such, the study of mathematics should be embraced as it paves the way for more educated decisions
and in a way, brings us closer to understanding the natural world.

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Prepared by:
Prof. Ninfa Sua-Sotomil
Josefino Darcy Balasoto