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Mathematics and Symmetry in Nature

This document discusses the presence of mathematical patterns and relationships in nature. It provides examples of symmetry (radial and bilateral), the golden ratio, Pi, Fibonacci sequences, and perfect shapes found in plants, shells, the human body, and planetary spheres. These natural occurrences of mathematical concepts are evidence that mathematics is deeply embedded in the fabric of the universe from the microscopic to the astronomical scale.

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Kristhel Pecolados Rombaoa
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115 views15 pages

Mathematics and Symmetry in Nature

This document discusses the presence of mathematical patterns and relationships in nature. It provides examples of symmetry (radial and bilateral), the golden ratio, Pi, Fibonacci sequences, and perfect shapes found in plants, shells, the human body, and planetary spheres. These natural occurrences of mathematical concepts are evidence that mathematics is deeply embedded in the fabric of the universe from the microscopic to the astronomical scale.

Uploaded by

Kristhel Pecolados Rombaoa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MATHEMATICS IN NATURE

Go down deep enough into anything and you


will find mathematics.
~ Dean Schlicter

But, it all started with


“nature”
Bilateral Symmetry
 Symmetric about an axis

3
Radial Symmetry
 Rational symmetry about a fixed point
called center

Wheel

Star fish

Petals of a flower
Lemon 4
Symmetry in Mathematics

1 × 9 + 2 = 11 1×1=1 1×8+1=9

12 × 9 + 3 = 111 11 × 11 = 121 12 × 8 + 2 = 98

123 × 9 + 4 = 1111 111 × 111 = 12321 123 × 8 + 3 = 987

1234 × 9 + 5 = 11111 1111 × 1111 = 1234321 1234 × 8 + 4 = 9876

12345 × 9 + 6 = 111111 11111 × 11111 = 12345431 12345 × 8 + 5 = 98765

123456 × 9 + 7 = 1111111 111111 × 111111 = 12345654321 123456 × 8 + 6 = 987654

1234567 × 9 + 8 = 11111111 1111111 × 1111111 = 1234567654321 1234567 × 8 + 7 = 9876543

12345678 × 9 + 9 = 111111111 11111111 × 11111111 = 13456787654321 12345678 × 8 + 8 = 98765432

123456789 × 9 +10 = 1111111111 111111111 × 111111111 = 12345678987654321 123456789 × 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 2 3

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Leonardo da Vinci’s Work
If you stand straight with your feet together and stretch your
arms,
 Length of the outspread arms = Height of the man
 The maximum width of the shoulders is a quarter of the
height of a man.

Vitruvian Man  From below the chin to the top of the head is one-eighth of
the height of a man.

If you open your legs enough that your head is lowered by


one-fourteenth of your height and raise your hands enough
that your extended fingers touch the line of the top of your
head,
 Space between the legs will be an equilateral triangle.
 Center of extended limbs will be the navel.
6
Golden Ratio
 A+B is to A as A is to B
 Golden Ratio = 1.61803398875…

The Last Supper

Mona Lisa

7
Pi
 Discovered independently by first civilizations to begin
agriculture, to give a relationship between square and
circle

◦ Babylonians – 3.125
◦ Egyptians – 3.16
◦ Chinese – 3
◦ Hebrews - 3

8
Geometric Series

 Bacteria such as Shewanella oneidensis multiply by


doubling their population in size for every 40 minutes.

 Volume occupied by N-dimensional hypercubes.

9
Fibonacci Series

Sunflower

Pineapple

10
Fibonacci Series

Aloe Plant
Nautilus shell

11
Perfect Shapes
 Earth – Sphere – perfect shape
for minimizing the pull of the
gravity to its outer edges.

 Beehives – Hexagons – close packing


is important to maximize the use of
space

12
If you love nature, but not mathematics, it’s because
you love nature for what it looks like, but not for
"what it is" :-)
0
1
May the Maths be with 1 1
you ;-) 2
1 1 3

5
1 2 1 8

13
1 3 3 1 21

T H A N K Y O U
References
 http://malini-math.blogspot.in/2010/08/maths-and-nature.html
 http://www.slideshare.net/sagarian/maths-in-nature-complete
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man
 http://madmaths.edublogs.org/maths-in-nature-3/
 http://library.thinkquest.org/trio/TTQ05063/phibeauty3.htm
 http://www.utexas.edu/features/2005/math/

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