Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

What Are Patterns?

Patterns
 a particular way in which something is done, is organized, or happens
Surrounding us is a diversity of things, from simple to complex, largest to smallest and dullest to
brightest. It is highly intriguing to be dealing with patterns that we see in our world. We tend to
think of patterns as sequences or designs that are orderly and that repeat. But we can also think
of patterns as anything that is not random.
Not all patterns form a symmetry and regularity, for example, we recognize the spots on a giraffe
as a pattern, but they're not regular, nor are any of the spots the same size or shape. However,
other patterns are orderly as is seen in the symmetry of a sea star or a snowflake.
Biologists, mathematicians, chemists, physicists, artists, and many others study and appreciate
patterns. Let's take a look at some of the different types of patterns to help us appreciate them as
well.

Different Types of Patterns

Symmetry
 is when different sides of something are alike
These reflections may be mirror images with only two sides, like the two sides of our bodies;
they may be symmetrical on several sides, like the inside of an apple sliced in half; or they might
be symmetrical on all sides, like the different faces of a cube.
We understand symmetry quite well in living organisms because it is a function of their
environment. In order to balance, we need to have symmetrical body structure so we don't fall
over from imbalanced weight. What we don't understand very well is symmetry in non-living
things. Snowflakes have six-fold symmetry but it is unclear why this occurs. Likewise, the splash
from a water droplet is also symmetrical, and while beautiful it is still somewhat of a mystery.
Fractals & Spirals
Fractals
 never-ending patterns that repeat indefinitely as the pattern is iterated on an infinitely
smaller scale
 seen in trees, rivers, mountains, shells, clouds, leaves, lightning, and more.
Spirals
 common pattern in nature that we see more often in living things
 horns of a sheep, the shell of a nautilus, and the placement of leaves around a stem
 a special type of spiral, the logarithmic spiral, is one that gets smaller as it goes
 seen in hurricanes, galaxies, and some seashells

Theories about Patterns

Chaos Theory
 “chaos” - a form of order that lacks predictability.
 under certain conditions, ordered, regular patterns can be seen to arise out of seemingly
random, erratic and turbulent processes.
 does not emphasize the inherent disorder and unpredictability of a system, instead, it
emphasizes the order inherent in the system and the universal behavior of similar
systems.
Butterfly Effect
 describes how a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in
large differences in a later state.
Fractal Mathematics
 “fractal” - a never-ending pattern
 Fibonacci sequence

The Fibonacci sequence is the series of numbers 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34... The number is

found by adding up the two numbers before it, wherein each number in the sequence is the sum
of the two numbers that precede it, so the sequence goes 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34…

History
Many claim that it was first discovered or invented by
Leonardo Fibonacci. The Italian mathematician who was born
around 1170 AD, who was originally known as Leonardo of Pisa.
Only in the 19th century did historians came up with the
nickname Fibonacci, which roughly means "son of the Bonacci
clan" to distinguish the mathematician from another famous
Leonardo of Pisa

But according to Keith Devlin the author of "Finding Fibonacci: the quest to rediscover
the forgotten mathematical genius who changed the world", Leonardo of Pisa did not actually
discover the sequence, an ancient Sanskrit texts that used the Hindu Arabic numeral system first
mentioned it, and those predate Leonardo of Pisa by centuries

In 1202 Leonardo of Pisa published the massive tone "Liber Abaci", which is basically a
cookbook for how to do calculation, written for tradesmen useful for tracking profits, losses etc.,
laid out in Hindu Arabic arithmetic numbers

In the book Leonardo of Pisa, introduces the sequence with a problem involving rabbits.

The problem was this: Beginning with a

single pair of rabbits, how many pairs of rabbits
will be born in a year, assuming that every
month each male and female rabbit gives birth
to a new pair of rabbits, and the new pair of
rabbits itself starts giving birth to additional
pairs of rabbits after the first month of their
birth?

Start with a male and a female rabbit, after a

month they mature and produce a litter with
another male and female rabbit and so on and
so forth. After a year, there would be 144
rabbits and the formula used to get to that answer is what’s now known as the Fibonacci
sequence. It is sometimes called "nature’s secret code" or
"nature’s universal rule".

For example:

On many plants, the number of petals is a Fibonacci

number: buttercups have 5 petals; lilies and iris have 3
petals; some delphiniums have 8; corn marigolds have 13
petals; some asters have 21 whereas daisies can be found
with 34, 55 or even 89 petals.

This poppy seed head has 13 ridges on top.

The Fibonacci sequence is tightly connected to what’s

known as the golden ratio.

If we take the ratio of two successive numbers in Fibonacci's series, (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,
..) and we divide each by the number before it, we will find the following series of numbers:

1/1 = 1, 2/1 = 2, 3/2 = 1·5, 5/3 = 1·666..., 8/5 = 1·6, 13/8 = 1·625, 21/13 = 1·61538...

The ratio seems to be settling down to a particular value, which we call the golden ratio
or the golden number. It has a value of approximately 1·618034
 The Golden Ratio
History
The Golden Ratio is used already used in the ancient times since the time of Pgidias and
Plato. It is commonly used in the field of structure.
 Phidias (500 BC – 432 BC), a Greek sculptor and mathematician, studied phi and applied
it to the design of sculptures for the Parthenon.
 Plato (circa 428 BC – 347 BC), in his views on natural science and cosmology presented
in his “Timaeus,” considered the golden section to be the most binding of all
mathematical relationships and the key to the physics of the cosmos.

The Golden Ration

 The term is first coined in 1800’s by Martin Ohm.
 1815, when he published a book “De reine Elementar-Mathematik” (The Pure
Elementary Mathematics) and use the term “goldener schnitt” or the golden section.

Phi
 Used until 1900’s
 Mark Barr used “phi” to designate the proportion.
 It can be found on The Curves of Life (pg.420) in 1914 by Theodore Andrea Cook:
golden mean, golden section, golden ratio, divine proportion.
 Phi is the first word of Phidias, who used golden ratio in his structure.
 F is the Greek equivalent of Phi and this is the first letter of the Fibonacci sequence.
 Phi is the 21st letter in the alphabet and 21 is a Fibonacci number.

The Golden ratio is equivalent to 1.618033988749……..It is an irrational number with no

repeating numbers. It is coincidentally related to the Fibonacci sequence when a Fibonacci
number is divided with its predecessors, the quotient approaches the golden ratio. The golden
ratio can be understood geometrically by a golden
rectangle.

The Golden Rectangle is a rectangle where the

ratio of the length to the width is a golden ratio. If you
have a Golden Rectangle and you cut a square off it so
that what remains is a rectangle, that remaining
rectangle will also be a Golden Rectangle. You can
keep cutting these squares off and getting smaller and
smaller Golden Rectangles.

While continuously cutting the golden

rectangle, the golden spiral is formed. It is the simple
mathematics that occurred in nature.

Golden Ratio in Nature

The golden ratio is sometimes called the “divine proportion” because of its frequency in the
natural world. It is best approximated by the famous Fibonacci numbers to express such
irrational number in a never-ending sequence. The higher the Fibonacci numbers, the closer their
relationship is to the approximate value of the golden ratio which is 1.1618.
The appearance of the said ratio is often enough to prove that they reflect some naturally
occurring patterns. This can be observed in how plants grow, in its seeds, the very structure of a
thing, and even outside this world.
Observing the patterns of the seeds in a sunflower will result in seeing the Fibonacci sequence.
The individual seeds create spiral arms, curving to the left and to the right. The curved seeds in
the left don’t match the number of curves in the right. The total always match a successive
Fibonacci sequence which is also equivalent to the golden ratio.

The ratio can also be seen in a pineapple fruit’s scales, which can be viewed in three different
perspectives.

Flowers usually have three petals, five, eight, thirteen or even twenty-one petals. You can rarely
see flowers with four, six, seven, and nine. This numbers also follows the Fibonacci sequence.
Pinecones and cauliflowers also reflect such sequence.
The human body also follows the sequence. The body parts follow the one, two, three, and five.
There is one nose, two eyes, three segments to each limb, and five fingers on each hand. The
proportions and measurements of the human body can also be divided in terms of the golden
ratio. The DNA molecule, the program for all life, is based on the golden section. It measures 34
angstroms long by 21 angstroms wide for each full cycle of its double helix spiral. 34 and 21 are
numbers in the Fibonacci series and their ratio, 1.6190476 closely approximates phi, 1.6180339.
Even the spiral of storms and tornados reflects such ratio in their spinning motion. The Nautilus
shell which closely approximates to the golden spiral, and even the galaxies, spirals in such
golden proportion.

The golden ratio’s aesthetic relevance to the universal design and order of things is just a myth or
legend. If a math is done in a golden rectangle, you will get the number 1.1618, and it is accepted
that it falls within the golden ratio. But the problem is that it comes out to 1.16180339887… and
so on. This means that it is impossible for anything to falls into the golden ratio because of its
irrationality. It is like a pi, where it is impossible to find a perfect circle in the real world,
therefore, the golden ratio cannot be strictly applied to any real world object.
Luca Pacioli, a Franciscan friar who wrote a book entitled De Divina Proportion in 1509, which
is named after the golden ratio. Pacioli didn’t argue in his book about the golden ratio-based
theory of aesthetics, but instead he believed the Virtruvian system of rational proportions, after
the Roman architect, Virtruvius. Pacioli was close friends with Leonardo da Vinci, whose works
became known and was popularized in the 19th century. He illustrated the book of Pacioli, which
is soon been theorized that he used the golden ratio as the secret math behind his exquisitely
beautiful paintings.
According to Liu and Sumpter (2018), “we argue that the golden ratio should not be considered
as a special universal constant in self-replicating systems, [and only happens] under some
idealized scenarios.”
Nevertheless, the myth still persists because humans are creatures who are genetically
programmed to see patterns and to seek meaning. Humans are not comfortable with arbitrary
things like aesthetics, so they try back them up with their often limited grasp of math. People
think that they see the golden ratio around them, in the natural world and objects that they love,
but they can’t actually substantiate it. They are victims to their natural desire to find meaning in
the patterns of the universe.

Golden Ratio in Art Composition and Design

“Without mathematics there is no art,” said Luca Pacioli, a contemporary of Da Vinci.
Just as the Golden Section is found in the design and beauty of nature, it can also be used
to achieve beauty, balance and harmony in art and design. It’s a tool, not a rule, for composition,
but learning how to use it can be a great Art 101 lesson on laying out a painting on a canvas.
For those with a deeper understanding yet, the golden ratio can be used in more elegant
ways to create aesthetics and visual harmony in any branch of the design arts. As you’ll find in
the examples below, it has been used by some of the greatest artists the world has known.
Oddly enough, you may also find critics who say that the golden ratio cannot be found in
art at all. Such statements often come from Ph.D.s in mathematics who hold a very theoretical
viewpoint that nothing in the real world can be a golden ratio. Why? Simply because it has an
infinite number of digits. (See a review/rebuttal on art and architecture and design.) Pi does too,
so this way of thinking says there are no circles in the real world either. For the rest of us,
practical applications of mathematical concepts are a simple and necessary everyday occurrence
in the arts, engineering and applied sciences.

Leonardo da Vinci
The Golden Section was used extensively by Leonardo Da Vinci. Note how all the key
dimensions of the room, the table and ornamental shields in Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” were
based on the Golden Ratio, which was known in the Renaissance period as The Divine
Proportion. The lines showing Da Vinci’s intricate use of the Divine proportion were creating
using PhiMatrix golden ratio design and analysis software: Note in Da Vinci’s “The
Annuciation” that the brick wall of the courtyard is in golden ratio proportion to the top and
bottom of the painting: Even the fine details of the emblems on the table appear to have been
positioned based on golden proportions of the width of the table: Other golden proportions can
be found in “The Annunciation” that illustrate the point and give evidence of Da Vinci’s intent.
See other examples of Da Vinci’s use of the Divine proportion here and my article on the
beautiful golden ratios in his painting “Salvator Mundi.”

Michelangelo
In Michelangelo’s painting of “The Creation of Adam” on the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel, look at the section of the painting bounded by God and Adam. The finger of God
touches the finger of Adam precisely at the golden ratio point of the width and height of the area
that contains them both. Alternatively, you can use the horizontal borders of the width of the
painting and get the same result. See my separate article revealing Michelangelo’s use of over
two dozen golden ratios in his composition of the paintings on the Sistine Chapel. Click on the
photos below to see a larger version of the sample images.

Raphael
Raphael’s “The School of Athens” provides another wonderful example of the
application of the golden ratio in composition. A small golden rectangle at the front and center of
the painting signals the artist’s express intent in the use of this proportion. We find that Raphael
used golden ratios throughout the painting, giving it a wonderful visual harmony.

Botticelli
Some say that Bottocelli composed “The Birth of Venus” such that her navel is at the
golden ratio of her height, as well as the height of the painting itself

Seurat
The French impressionist painter Georges Pierre Seurat is said to have “attacked every
canvas by the golden section.” In the examples, below the horizons falls exactly at the golden
section of the height of the paintings, as are other key compositional elements of the paintings.
A more detailed analysis and commentary with dozens of other examples is provided on page
Georges Seurat and the Golden Ratio in Art Composition. Vertical line marks the bank edge at
center. Seurat painting with golden ratios at horizon, pier and sail.
Golden Ratio in Architecture
The golden ratio can be seen not just in nature and arts but also can be found in
architecture. One of the reason on why the golden ratio is prominent in architecture is because it
is aesthetically appeasing. The reason is because it is proportionate and balance in which it is
appealing to the eye. In the history of mankind golden ratio is present in every architectural
marvels per era like the Pyramid of Giza of Egypt, Notre Dame of France, and etc. The origin of
golden ratio in architecture can be traced back to the time of ancient Egypt in which the time
when the pyramids are built. According to (Christa Nathe, 2018) “The pyramids in Giza contains
the measurements of the golden ratio in which others perceive as coincidence. The golden ratio is
represented as the ratio of the length/height of the triangular face to half the length of the square
base. “
· The length of the base of the pyramid is approximately. 1+1=2
· The height of an isosceles triangular face is approximately phi.
1.618
· The height of the pyramid is approximately the square root of phi.

· The height can then be found .

· The slope of the pyramid is very close to the golden pyramid
inclination of 51° 50’.

Notre Dame in France is another example in which golden

ratio can be applied. According to (Meisner, 2013) “in the photo
the golden ration lines of red, blue and green rectangles in which
match the architectural structure of Notre Dame. In which red
represent the vertical height of base at ground level, top of first
level and top of second floor of the structure. Blue represents the
vertical height of base of second level, the top of second level and
top of third level. Green represents the horizontal width of outside
of left top section, the inside of top right section and the outside
of top right section.”

The UN Secretariat Building is a prime example on how

golden ratio applied in the modern times According to (Meisner,
2014) “ The first golden ratio point defines the middle of the second
non-reflective band. This is based on the height from the base at
street level to the top of the building, as illustrated by the green
lines It is achieved because the building has 41 floors therefore 41
divided by 1.618 creates two section of 25.3 floors and 15.7 floors
the red line in which the golden ratio point is located is in between
the 15 and 16th floors from the street thus the structure was
designed with a golden ratio as its foundation.”

The golden ratio is applicable in architecture because it can be used as a basis in

construction of a building because using the golden ratio or otherwise known as divine
proportion which gives the structure a sense of balance and stability in which it is aesthetically
pleasing. Architects are using golden ratio in a way on not just because it is appeasing and
balance but also because golden ratio contains different kinds of shape like rectangle, triangle,
pentagon and etc. In which they can use it as they’re in constructing their building on their
discretion.

References
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/patterns-in-nature-definition-
examples.html.
Christa Nathe, K. H. (2018). The Golden Ratio in Architecture. Retrieved from Jwilson:
http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emat6680fa06/hobgood/kate_files/golden%20ratio/gr%20arch.
html
Marshall, J. (2019, May 21). What is the Golden Ratio and How is it Related to the Fibonacci
Sequence? Retrieved from https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/math/what-is-
the-golden-ratio-and-how-is-it-related-to-the-fibonacci-sequence.
Meisner, G. (2013, March 5). Phi and the Golden Section in Architecture. Retrieved from
Golden Number: https://www.goldennumber.net/architecture/
Meisner, G. (2014, June 25). The UN Secretariat Building, Le Corbusier and the Golden Ratio.
Retrieved from Golden Number: https://www.goldennumber.net/un-secretariat-building-
golden-ratio-architecture/
MATHEMATICS IN
THE WORLD
Submitted by:
Group 2
BSA 1-15

Submitted to:
Mrs. Zenaida A. Agcaoili

Date Submitted:
November 28, 2019
 GROUP 2
BSA 1-15
Adriatico, Nicci Jeanne
Basinillo, Perbielyn A.
Gile, John Carlo
Magturo, Joey Jhudiel
Morco, Rav
Pajara, Marc Justin
Rapadas, Samuel
Salamera, Auie Eugene Frae