West Visayas State University

Pototan Campus
Pototan, Iloilo

Lectures Notes in Math 101

Unit I. Mathematics in our World

Learning Outcomes

1. Identified patterns in nature and regularities in the world.

2. Argued about the nature of mathematics, what it is, how it is expressed,
represented, and used.
3. Articulated the importance of mathematics in one’s life.
4. Expressed appreciation for mathematics as a human endeavor.

Introduction

Progress and development of human society is swiftly realized through the

usefulness of mathematical breakthroughs. The systematic applications of various
mathematical concepts brought about comfort, ease, and order to humans and their
activities. On the other hand, mathematics also plays an important role in the
disintegration of human society. History is rich of various events that show millions of
human life and countless of physical assets and properties wiped out. Regrettably
this depressing reality also stands as witness to the application of mathematical concepts
and ideas.

Clearly mathematics is the foundation of man’s daily endeavour and survival.

Without its application a day to day grind would be useless and meaningless. Despite the
enormous usage of mathematics, it does not fail to gain a scornful treatment from some.
To them mathematics makes them anxious and gives them an undesirable difficulty.
When they are confronted with numbers normally their reaction would be that of disdain
and frustration. This is unfortunate for they must
have failed to realize that mathematics is not only about numbers, symbols, rules, and
formulas. They must also have failed to realize that without mathematics their life would
be disorganized and chaotic. If they would only observe closely their surroundings and
daily routine, they will realize that mathematics is embedded in whatever their senses
can perceive and in whatever they can achieve every day.
 Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

Patterns are regular, repeated or recurring forms of designs. Patterns are just around us.
We see pattern everyday – from the layout of floor tiles, designs of skyscrapers, to the
way we tie our shoelaces.
Patterns Nature’s as Clues

Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer, in his book Six-Cornered Snowflakes, argued

that snowflakes must be made by packing tiny identical units together. The six-fold
symmetry of snowflakes is a natural consequence of natural packing. If you pack a large
number of identical coins by placing them as closely as possible, you get a honeycomb
arrangement in which every coin -except those at the edges- is surrounded by six others,
arranged in a perfect hexagon.

Waves and dunes are clues to the rules that govern the flow of water, sand and air.

The tiger’s stripes and the hyena’s spots attest to mathematical regularities in biological
growth and form.

Rainbows tell about scattering of light and indirectly confirm that raindrops are spheres.
Lunar halos are clues to the shape of ice crystals.

Most ice halos around the sun or moon are made plate-or column-like hexagonal crystals.
The multiple halos in this image from rare pyramidal ice crystal.

Nature’s Patterns are Numerical

The simplest matheamtical objects are numbers and the simplest of nature’s patterns
are numerical.

a. In 28 days, the phases of the moon make a complete cycle from new moon to full
moon and back again.
b. Approximately, there are 365 days in a year.
c. Number of legs of some creatures: people - 2 insects- 6 cats- 4 spiders- 8
d. Clover normally has 3 leaves. A four-leaf clover brings luck according a
superstition. This reflects a deep-seated belief that exceptions to patterns are
special.
e. A pattern also occurs in the petals of flowers. The number of petals is one of the
numbers that occurs in the sequence 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89. Below is a list of
flowers with their corresponding number of petals.
Geometric Patterns Triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, circles, ellipses, spirals,
cubes, spheres, cones, and others can be found in nature.

Some of these shapes are far more common more evident. For example, the rainbow
is a collection of circles, one for each color. The entire circle is not normally seen but
just an arc; but when seen from the air, rainbows can be complete circles.

The ripples on a pond are circles; the human eye and the design on butterfly’s wings
are also circles.
New Kinds of Pattern

a. Fractals-these are geometric shapes that repeat their structure on ever-finer

scales. Although fractals are very complex, they are made by repeating a simple
process. Fractals are found in nature, for instance, trees, rivers, coastlines,
mountains, clouds, sea shells, hurricanes. Fractals are also found in geometry and
algebra referred to as mathematical fractals.
Uses of Understanding Nature’s Patterns

The development of new mathematical theories helps us to unravel the secrets of

the more elusive of nature’s patterns. This discovery has both practical and
intellectual impact. Our understanding of nature’s secret irregularities has vast uses
including the following:
a. to steer artificial satellites to new destinations with far less fuel
b. to help avoid wear on the wheels of locomotives and other vehicles that run on a
railroad.
c. to improve the effectiveness of heart pacemakers
d. to manage forests and fisheries
e. to make more efficient dishwashers
f. it gives us the opportunity to deepen our views about the universe in which we live,
and of our own

Activity 1

Go out and observe your sorroundings and look for patterns that exist in
objects, plants, trees, buildings, etc. take a photo of the pattern that
catches your attention, describe the pattern that you perceive and write a
brief explanation how mathematics is embedded in that arrangement.
 GETTING TO KNOW MATHEMATICS

What is Mathematics?
Mathematics, developed by human mind and culture, is a formal system of thought for
recognizing, classifying and exploiting patterns (Stewart,p.1)
Mathematics is a study of patterns sand relationships.

Mathematical ideas are interwoven with each other. Patterns and relationships arise in all
parts of mathematics-in numbers and chance, in geometry and data-and not just in the realm of
formulas and functions. “Patterns can be either real or imagined, visual or mental, static or
dynamic, qualitative or quantitative,…They can arise from world around us…or from the inner
workings of the human mind.”(Devin, 1994)
 What is Mathematics for?

• useful in making conclusions and/or predictions of the events of the world

• use to describe the natural order and occurrences of the universe
• use to organize patterns and regularities as well as irregularities
• help to control weather, epidemics
• provide tools for calculations
• provide new questions to think about

What Mathematics is About?

 numbers, symbols, equations, operations, functions, calculations, abstractions,
devising proofs
How is Mathematics is done?

 Mathematics is done with curiosity.

The desire to learn to know something. Mathematical curiosity includes more

than simply a desire to learn or know mathematics. It also includes a desire to
 explore mathematical ideas through posing mathematically interesting problems
after one has “finished” a problem (Knuth 2002)

 Mathematics is done with a penchant for seeking patterns and

generalities.

If you have a penchant for seeking patterns and generalities, you have a
special liking for it or a tendency to do it. You devote a special time for doing
what you have interested about. Your attention may be in findings something
special about some patterns.

 Mathematics is done with the desire to know the truth.

You may want unravel the truth about the facts and mysteries of the
mathematical universe.

 Mathematics is done with trial and error.

Trial and error refers to the process of verifying that a certain choice is right
(wrong). You simply substitute that choice into the problem check. Some
questions can only be solved by trial and error; for others you must first decide if
there isn,t a faster way to arrive at the answer. In the problems that you solve you
test all choices for your benefit. Once you have the roght answer, there is no need
to check the rest of the choices.

Who uses mathematics?

• mathematicians (pure and applied)
• scientists (natural and social)
• everyone
Why is mathematics important to know / learn?
• It puts order in disorder.
• It helps us become better persons.
• It helps make a world a better place to live in.

Activity 2

Mathematics All Around Us – An Inquiry-Based Group Task