Fibonacci and Fractals in Nature
Examples where mathematics can be seen in the things around us...
1. "Fibonacci Numbers and Nature"
<http://www.maths.surrey.ac.uk/hosted-sites/R.Knott/Fibonacci/
fibnat.html>
From rabbits to shells to flowers to vegetables, Fibonacci numbers (0, 1,
1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, etc) are everywhere in the natural world.
2. "Fractals in Nature"
<http://www.miqel.com/fractals_math_patterns/visual-math-natural-
fractals.html>
A fractal is "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split
into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size
copy of the whole," a property called self-similarity. [Wikipedia]
Not just theoretical constructs, fractals are present in nature.
More good stuff at miqel.com:
* "PHI: The Golden Ratio or Golden Section"
<http://www.miqel.com/fractals_math_patterns/visual-math-phi-
golden.html>
* "The Mandelbrot Set"
<http://www.miqel.com/fractals_math_patterns/visual-math-mandelbrot-
magic.html>
* "Various Fractal Types and Categories of 'Chaos'"
<http://www.miqel.com/fractals_math_patterns/visual_math_fractal_
types.html>
3. More Mathematics in Nature
* "Maths in Nature"
<http://www.abc.net.au/science/photos/mathsinnature/>
* "Nature by Numbers: linking math to nature"
<http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/nature_by_numbers_linking_
math_to_n.html>
* "Geometry In Nature: The DNA of Design"
<http://www.slideshare.net/MarkRosenhaus/geometry-in-nature>
