Mathematics: A Fundamental part of Nature

Mathematics was not invented by humans, but they are a universal language. The same that uses nature to express themselves through their beings communicate and manage the gear of each other of its parts either an atom or a galaxy, either microscopic or macroscopic. Just looking around us, we find the harmonious language of mathematics. From rainbows, river meanders and shadows to spider webs, honeycombs and the markings on animals coat, visible world is full of patterns that can be described mathematically. Nature is unstoppable and a beautiful one at that. Everywhere you look, the natural world is laced with stunning patterns that can be described with mathematics. From bees to blood vessels, ferns to fangs mathematics can explain how such beauty emerges. Mathematics is often described this way, as a language or tool that human creates to describe the world around them, with precision. But there is another school of thought which suggests math is actually what the world is made of: that nature follows the some simple rules, time and again, because mathematics underpins the fundamental laws of physical world. According to philosopher Sam Baron of the Australian Catholic University, ‘’mathematics existed in nature long before human invented it’’. He said, mathematics explains so many things we see around us, and then it is unlikely that mathematics is something we’ve created. Instead, if we think math as an essential component of nature that gives structure to the physical world, it might prompt us to consider in it rather than reveling in our own creativity.
A world made of math: This thinking dates back to Greek philosopher Pythagoras (around 575-475 BCE), who was the first to identify mathematics as one of two languages that can explain the architectures, the other being music. He thought all things were made of numbers that the universe was made two millennia later, scientists are still going to great lengths to uncover where and how mathematical patterns emerge in nature to answer some big questions-like why cauliflower looks oddly perfect. We spent many hours frantically dismantling cauliflower florets, counting them, measuring angles between , said Étienne Farcot of University of Nottingham, who studied cauliflower growth in an effort to understand these ‘’mysterious cabbage’’. Fractals are exquisite, self-repeating patterns which besides some cauliflower are also found in fern frond, branching blood vessels and rings of Saturn. Fractals are geometric shape made up of smaller and smaller copies of themselves creating a mesmerizing ‘’self-similarity’’ that is infinitely deep.
Although only mathematical or computer fractals are truly perfect fractals, nature comes pretty close. These repeating patterns are everywhere in nature. In snowflake, river networks, flowers, trees, lightning strikes- even in our blood vessels. Parts of charms of fractals in that they help to explain how complexity is born out of simplicity. As Benoi Mandelbrot, the polish –born mathematician who coined the term fractal, said in2010’’ Bottomless wonders spring from simple rules which are repeated without end. Branching river system also carve near-perfect patterns that in one instance, archaeologist looked for missing fractals to deduce ancient Egyptians might have modified river channels when building Pyramids nearby. Insects appear to follow mathematical principle too. Whether they know it or not, bees build hexagonal honeycomb in a way that produces the most storage space using the least materials-a theory known as the ‘’honeycomb conjuncture’ ’which was finally demonstrated by American mathematician Thomas Hales in 1999. Some species of cicadas also have a life cycle geared towards prime numbers. Swarm of two North American species emerge from their subterranean burrows every 13 or 17 years, a trick which scientists think helps cicadas avoid predators with more regular rhythms.
Let’s not forget nature’s favorite number Fibonacci number, where each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two. Fibonacci numbers are seen in sunflower seeds, Pine cones and pineapples. Spiral galaxies and nautilus shell also mimic so-called golden spiral by growing in logarithmic ratio with every quarter turn. But even though mathematical patterns are everywhere to be seen in nature, recent discoveries suggest the connection between’’ math and nature runs deeper still’’ in ways we’re only just beginning to appreciate. Researchers discovered what they described as a previously unknown law of nature- from shark teeth and spider fangs to bird beaks and dinosaur horns. The diversity of animals and even plants that follows this rule is staggering’’, evolutionary biologist Alistar Evan from Monash University in Australia said at the time they discovered mathematical formula, dubbed the power cascade. We found it almost everywhere we looked across the kingdoms of life- in living animals and those extinct for millions of years. Back in 2015, scientists were also delighted to find a classic formula Pi- the ever constant ratio between a circle’s circumference and its diameter- lurking in hydrogen atoms. Like Pis: 3.1415926, phi can be represented by a numerical sequence: 1.6180339887. Both numbers represent geometric relationship. But phi can also be derived from a quadratic equation and from a series known as Fibonacci sequence and referred to the Golden Ratio. It has been used in art, architecture, design, photography, music and can be seen in many proportion of the human body including DNA. In a roundabout way that discovery leads us back to the idea that mathematics provides a structural framework for the physical world. A closer look at the shapes and relationship in nature, we can see perfection in different geometrical shapes and math will note in some number printed- for example the wings of butterflies , what do they mean? Petals of flowers – mostly have perfect symmetry, similar to others in the nature as the shell of a snail, mineral crystal and even our galaxy. At this symmetry it is called ‘’divine proportion’’, ‘’golden ratio’’ or ‘’golden number’’. It is a recurring number in some pattern of nature and we cannot believe it’s a fad or a fluke. It’s an interesting idea to entertain so long as your head doesn’t explode.
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