Republic of the Philippines

Tarlac State University

G113 - MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Prepared by:

Cid L. Lapuz
Enalyn T. Domingo

June 2020
Mathematics in the Modern World Chapter 1: The Nature of Mathematics

Intended Learning Outcomes

Activity

Get out and find a flower, a snail shell, or any plant from your garden. Take note of the
characteristics of the object you found.

Processing

MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD

Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

Have you ever wondered about patterns in nature? Animal stripes such that of a tiger or a zebra? The
number of petals of a sunflower or even the shape of a snail’s shell? The regular pattern of a honeycomb?
They may not be similar for each animal or plant but they somehow follow a general number or trend.

Abstraction

Fibonacci Numbers
he number of petals of a flower is said to follow a general number trend.
This and a lot more of what we observe in nature is credited to the number
sequence discovered by Leonardo Pisano, better known as Fibonacci. He said that
patterns in nature follow this number sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55,
... If you examine closely, the next number is the sum of the two previous
numbers. The sequence goes on and on and was later given a formula by Jacques
Philippe Marie Binet though it was already known by Abraham de Moivre.
According to Binet,
Leonardo “Fibonacci” Pisano

If is the th Fibonacci number, then

Course Code Course Title Date Effective: Rev. No. Prepared by: Page No.:
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Mathematics in the Modern World Chapter 1: The Nature of Mathematics

The Golden Ratio

What is our idea of perfection? Where do we compare our measurements? The Golden Ratio, φ,
which is approximately equal to 1.618 is considered to be the standard in architecture, geometry, art, and
other fields. If one will follow it, the result will be eye-pleasing and beautiful in one’s
perspective. The rectangle on the right has a length of 3.236 cm and width of 2 cm,
which when divided together yields 1.618. Do you think it explains as to why the
rooms in our houses or schools do not have a square shape?

The Fibonacci Sequence is used to demonstrate the Golden Ratio as well. Take for example the
so-called Fibonnaci Spiral which shows the perfect pattern of a snail shell.

While the Golden Ratio is generally used for visual appreciation, it has also applications in other
areas such as Meteorology. Hurricanes also follow a Spiral shape making it easy for weather forecasters to
identify the characteristics of the hurricane using the Fibonacci Sequence.

Reading Assignment

To find out more examples of the manifestations of Fibonacci Sequence in nature, read the accompanying
published research of Sudipta Sinha, an Assistant Professor Department of Mathematics Burdwan Raj
College,Burdwan,West Bengal.

Assessment Tasks

1. Research on the perfect face and body measurements following the Golden Ratio. Take your own
measurements and discuss on a paper how near they are from the Golden Ratio.

2. Find an app that will correct your features to fit the Golden Ratio. Discuss on a paper how different
you look. Have other people look at the results, do they think you are more attractive with the
adjustments?

3. Research on an article about the patterns of typhoons in the Philippines from ten years ago. Find
out whether there were changes in the patterns and how did Meteorologists used these previous
patterns to predict the more recent typhoons.

4. Find the 154th, 205th and 82nd Fibonacci number using Binet’s formula.

Course Code Course Title Date Effective: Rev. No. Prepared by: Page No.:
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Mathematics in the Modern World Chapter 1: The Nature of Mathematics

References:

Adam, J. A. (2003), Mathematics in Nature: Modeling Patterns in the Natural World., Princeton University
Press, New Jersey.

Baltazar, et. al (2018), Mathematics in the Modern World., C&E Publishing, Inc., Quezon City

Johnson, D. (2012), Mathematics: A Practical Odyssey, 7e. Brookes/Cole Cengage Learning, USA.

Smith, K.J. (2010), The Nature of Mathematics 12th ed., Santa Rosa Junior College, Brookes/Cole Cengage
Learning, USA.

Stewart, I. ( 1995), Nature’s Numbers: The Unreal Reality of Mathematics, Basic Books, New York

https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Fibonacci/

https://artofproblemsolving.com/wiki/index.php/Binet%27s_Formula

https://cdn4.vectorstock.com/i/1000x1000/70/48/seamless-pattern-black-tiger-print-vector-
26767048.jpg

https://cdn3.vectorstock.com/i/1000x1000/00/12/seamless-pattern-with-zebra-stripes-vector-
26210012.jpg

https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/images/fibonacci.jpg

https://cdn.britannica.com/44/174644-050-774B8DD6/Close-up-head-sunflower.jpg

https://compote.slate.com/images/7e013162-4951-4a8c-927c-404274b3ec21.jpg

https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/golden-ratio.html

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/math140fibonacciandgoldenratio-140714134243-phpapp02/95/math-
140-fibonacci-and-golden-ratio-7-638.jpg?cb=1405345421

https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/blogs/finding-the-fibonacci-sequence-in-
hurricane-sandy

https://media.mnn.com/assets/images/2012/10/Rita_AMO_spiral.jpg.838x0_q80.jpg

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