MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
Course: BSEE-1
NATURE IN MATHEMATICS
Patterns that are hidden all around us in
nature, buildings, our body, cells, food, etc.
are revealed through Mathematics that
makes us understand our world more.
Mathematics depends on creativity and
logic rather than on observations, which
are used for various purposes. In our world
today, Mathematics is a varying discipline
that discusses measurements, data,
observations in science (proof, inference,
deduction), and mathematical models of
human behavior, social systems, and natural phenomena.
Many engineers and scientists apply the chief value of
Mathematics to their own work. This is because
Mathematics plays an important role in modern culture,
therefore basic understanding of nature in mathematics
is essential for scientific literacy. Us future engineers
need to recognize mathematics as part of science,
understand the nature of mathematical thinking, and get
used to mathematical skills and ideas.
Patterns and Numbers in nature and the world
Patterns are visible regularities of
a form found in the natural world.
These patterns are formed in
different context and may be
modelled mathematically.
Symmetries, trees, spirals,
waves, meanders, tessellations,
cracks, stripes, and foams are
natural patterns. Patterns can be
spatial, temporal, linguistic and
sequential. There are
connections between things we least expect but can be observed with the intellect of math. For
instance, fireflies flashing in a pattern and unison can be solved mathematically.
A fractal is a never-ending pattern which
geometrically exists in between our familiar
dimensions. Nature is filled with fractals like trees,
mountains, clouds and even our body. For instance,
when we look deeper and deeper into the pattern of
a fern, we will notice a never-ending repetitive
pattern. There are very famous and recognized
sequences since many centuries ago like the
Fibonacci Series and Spiral, The Golden and Angle
Ratios, The Delaunay Triangulation and Voronoi
Tessellations.
Fibonacci Sequence
The Fibonacci Sequence is a recursive sequence, in which it is produced
by summing up two previous numbers. The first two numbers in the
sequence are 0 and 1. Therefore, the Fibonacci Sequence is 0, 1, 1, 2,
3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89….
The Fibonacci Sequence can be also found in Pascal’s Triangle. The
numbers below the smaller triangles we find in the Pascal’s Triangle
itself are the sum of two numbers diagonally above it to the left and the
right (see figure below).
Pascal’s Triangle
As we can see, the numbers diagonally above the number 2 to its left and right are added up
together to get 2. Same goes for the number 3, 4, 6, etc. In the meantime, the numbers located
on the diagonals of the triangles we see in the figure adds up to the Fibonacci series.
When we observe the grometry of flowers, plants or fruits, we can easily notice the presence of
recurrent forms and structures on it. For instance, the Fibonacci Sequence plays a crucial role in
phyllotaxis, which studies leaf arrangements, flowers or seeds in plants, branches, with a main
purpose of highlighting the existence of regular patterns. We can effortlessly find the numbers of
the Fibonacci sequece in the spirals formed by flowers in the composite inflorescences of
sunflowers, broccoli, cauliflowers and daisies.
Fibonacci Spiral
The Fibonacci Spiral is made by creating the first few squares that correspond to each value from
the sequence: 1x1, 1x1, 2x2, 3x3, 5x5, 8x8, 13x13, 21x21, etc. They are then arranged in squares
and a quarter circle arc within each little square as drawn, that result to the Fibonacci Spiral as
shown in the diagram above.
The Fibonacci Spiral recurs throughout nature. We can find them in the petals of a rose, the curve
of a wave, the eye of a hurricane, the seed heads of sunflower, and even the spiral of galaxies.
The ratio approaches a value of 1.618034… as we move further in
the sequence. If each value in the Fibonacci Sequence is divided
by the previous, the result tends to Phi. The ratio is called φ (Phi)
or the golden ratio. It is sometimes called the “divine proportion”
because it appears in the natural world very often.
The golden ratio is a special kind and is important to us. It is
because it is present everywhere, in our DNA, the human body, eye
of the hurricane, and many more as it appears in various structures
of nature.
More examples in which we can find the Fibonacci Sequence in
nature is given by the number of petals of flowers. Most flowers
have three (irises and lilies), five (parnassia, hibiscus, rose hips), eight (cosmea), 13 (daisies),
21 (chicory), 55, or 89 (Asteraceae) petals. Those numbers of petals are part of the famous
Fibonacci Sequence as mentioned before.
Hibiscus Daisy Lily
Mathematics of our World
Almost all of us in this world use math every
single day in our lives without realizing it
most of the time. Math is crucial in our world
today because without it our world would
not be the same, as there were something
missing in an empty space. The world
would be lost without numbers and
applications of math. For instance, we will
not be able to buy things, measure
quantities, read the clock, call others,
predict phenomenon and many more.
Mathematics of our world have great impact
in our lives.
We were able to
build symmetrical
buildings and
architectures
through math in
measurements.
The invention of phone by
calculating frequencies made it
possible to evolve to a smartphone
that we all use nowadays.
The advanced architecture
and physics knowledge that
applies the knowledge of
math made it possible for
humans to build great
bridges around the world.
Mathematics of our world today are far more detailed and complicated compared to math back
then. However, they are explained in a more simple and understandable way so that students like
us would not have too much trouble learning them. As an example, mathematics has a lot of
shortcut ways of solving problems by using formulas that were derived from the complicated
solution. Calculations are also used more than measuring from scaled diagrams because they
are far more accurate.
Mathematics not only applies for STEM subjects, but also in arts when it comes to making/drawing
symmetrical shapes, or in dancing where steps are counted, in music theory where composing
requires the knowledge of chord progressions, and even in sports in which we keep track of how
many miles we jogged, or how much calories we are supposed to take in a day.
LANGUAGE OF MATH
The language of
mathematics is usually
used by mathematicians
to convey mathematical
ideas among each other
in which the aim is to
communicate logical and
abstract ideas. Eg.
Symbols, Variables,
Numbers
Variables
Variable is a symbol, usually a letter, for a numerical value we do not know yet. They are specially
used in algebra or algebraic expressions. It is usually x and y that are commonly used, and t
(time), r (radius), s (arc length), and h (height). Examples:
Area of Circle: 𝑨 = 𝝅𝒓𝟐 , ‘A’ and ‘r’ is the variable. ‘A’ indicates the area and ‘r’ indicates the
radius of a circle.
Quadratic Equation: 𝒂𝒙𝟐 + 𝒃𝒙 + 𝒄 = 𝟎 , ‘x’ is the variable, and ‘a’, ‘b’, and ‘c’ are
coefficients whose values are required to be specified to solve the equation.
There are 2 types of variables in mathematics, dependent and independent variables.
Dependent Variable Independent Variable
Variables whose values are independent of
Variables that depend on the value of another
changes. They do not depend on any other
variable in its condition.
variable of its value.
Example: 𝑨 = 𝝅𝒓², ‘A’ which is the area, Example: 𝑨 = 𝝅𝒓² , the radius, ‘r’, is an
independent variable. For each value of ‘r’,
depends on the radius, ‘r’.
the value of ‘A’ differs.
More examples:
Equation Independent Variable(s) Dependent Variable
𝒚 = 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟑 x y
𝒙𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐 = 𝟏 x y
𝒙 = 𝟏 − 𝒕² t x
𝒛 = 𝟐𝒙𝟐 − 𝒚³ x and y z
Language of Sets
Sets in mathematics are any collection of distinct objects (elements) which may be mathematical
or non-mathematical. For instance, the numbers 3, 6, and 9 are distinct objects when considered
separately, but then they form a single set of three, written {3, 6,9}, when they are considered
collectively. A set is commonly represented as a list of all its elements enclosed in braces. A
mathematical way of representing a collection of objects is called a set language.
Another way to specify a set is by the set-builder notation: the set of elements x in A such that
F(x) is true.
{𝑥 ∈ 𝐴 | 𝐹(𝑥)}
Subsets:
If A and B are sets, then A is called a subset of B, if and only if every element of A is also an
element of B. It is written as A ⊆ B.
Set A is not a subset of B if there is at least one element of A that is not an element of B. It is then
written as A ⊈ B.
Venn Diagrams:
A Venn diagram is a diagram that is widely used that shows the logical relation between sets,
popularized by John Venn in the 1880s. It uses overlapping circles or other shapes to illustrate
logical relations between two or more sets of items. Venn diagrams show relationships even if a
set is empty.
Set notation:
Set notation is used to define the elements and properties of sets using symbols. Symbols
saves space when writing and describing sets. Set notations also helps in describing different
relationships between two or more sets using symbols.
Symbol Name Example (Based on diagram) Explanation
𝐴 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10}
Collection of
{} Set 𝐵 = {1,3, 4, 9, 13, 14, 15} elements
𝐶 = {1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15}
Belong to
∩ Intersect 𝐴 ∩ 𝐵 ∩ 𝐶 = {1, 3, 9} sets A, B, C
Belong to set
∪ Union 𝐴 ∪ 𝐶 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15} A or set C
Universal Set of all the
𝜉 set
𝜉 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15} values
12 is an
Belongs
∈ to
12 ∈ 𝐶 element in
set C
12 is not an
Does not
∉ belong to
12 ∉ 𝐴 element in
set A
Set symbols Meaning Set symbols Meaning
Difference: in A but nor in
∪ Union 𝐴−𝐵 B
∩ Intersection 𝐴=𝐵 Equal
Universal set: set of all
𝜉 𝑜𝑟 𝕌 possible values 𝐴𝑥𝐵 Cartesian product
Cardinality: number of
∈ Belongs to |𝐴 | elements of set A
∉ Does not belong to | Such that
⊂ Proper subset of : Such that
⊆ Subset of/is contained in ∀ For all
⊄ Not a proper subset of ∃ There exists
Not a subset of/is not
⊈ contained in ∴ Therefore
⊃ Proper superset ℕ Set of Natural Numbers
⊇ Superset ℤ Set of Integers
⊅ Not a superset of ℚ Set of Rational Numbers
Complement: elements not in
𝐴′ 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝐶 A 𝔸 Set of Algebraic Numbers
∅ 𝑜𝑟 {} Empty set/null set/void set ℝ Set of Real Numbers
Number of elements in the
𝑛(𝐴) set A 𝕀 Set of Imaginary Numbers
𝑃(𝐴) Power Set: all subsets of A ℂ Set of Complex Numbers
PROBLEM SOLVING
Solving with patterns
Patterns can involve number sequences, names, money, and images.
One way to solve mathematics questions is by looking for patterns. Here are the steps to solve
problems that involves patterns:
a. Make a Table
b. Find the Relationship Between Numbers
c. Make a Prediction
d. Check the Answer
Example 1:
1, 4, 9, ? , 25, 36, ? , 64 …
From the first three numbers of the number sequence above, we can tell that it is the squares of
the numbers, 1², 2², 3². Therefore, the 4th term will be 4²=16 and the 7th term are 7²=49. To
check the answer, we can make a table of the squares of integers 1-10.
Integer Squared of the Integers Integer Squared of the Integers
1 1² = 1 6 6² = 36
2 2² = 4 7 7² = 49
3 3² = 9 8 8² = 64
4 4² = 16 9 9² = 81
5 5² = 25 10 10² = 100
The full sequence up until the 10th term is, 1, 4, 9, 𝟏𝟔, 25, 36, 𝟒𝟗, 64, 81, 100. This pattern is very
similar to the number sequence given. Therefore, the answer to that problem is 16, and 49.
Example 2:
From the pattern of the figure above, the shaded box goes from corner to corner. So, the last figure will be
the same shape, with a shaded box in the bottom left corner.
Example 3:
Finite Differences: Sequences of numbers often do not appear to have a pattern. But the
pattern can be found by looking at the differences between consecutive terms. This method is
called the method of finite differences.
Use method of finite differences to determine the next term in the following sequences:
1. 2, 6, 13, 23, 36
2. 1, 7, 15, 28, 49, 81
Solution:
2 6 13 23 36 52 1 7 15 28 49 81 127
4 7 10 13 16
6 8 13 21 32 46
3 3 3 3 2 5 8 11 14
1. The next number in the sequence is 52.
3 3 3 3
2. The next number in the sequence is 127.
There are two types of number sequences, namely, Arithmetic Sequence and Geometric
Sequence.
Arithmetic Sequence: Each new number is obtained from the previous number in the sequence
by adding a selected number throughout. The selected number is called the common difference.
Examples:
5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25 … The common difference is 4.
17, 24, 31, 38, 45 … The common difference is 7.
Geometric Sequence: Each new number is obtained by multiplying the previous number by a
selected number. This selected number is called the common ratio. Examples:
3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 … The common ratio is 2.
13, 117, 1053, 9477 … The common ratio is 9.
Examples:
167, 199, ? , 263, ? , ?
The common difference in this sequence is 199-167=32. So, the missing numbers are 231, 295,
and 327.
8, 16, 32, ? , ? , 256
The common ratio is 16/8=2. So, the missing numbers are 64 and 128.
There is a formula to find the nth term of an arithmetic sequence:
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 + (𝑛 − 1)𝑑
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝑎1 = 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝑑 = 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝑛 = 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
Formula to find the nth term of a geometric sequence:
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎1 𝑟 𝑛−1
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑛𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝑎1 = 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝑟 = 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜
𝑛 = 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
