Mathematics in Architecture, Art, Nature, and Beyond

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Problem Solving in Mathematics and Beyond – Volume 37: Mathematics in Architecture, Art, Nature, and Beyond

There is little opportunity in classrooms today for teachers to explore the amazing applications of mathematics outside the curriculum. This book is intended to show how mathematics manifests itself in areas that most people are unaware of. One can even revel in the history of how our number system evolved and how that has enabled us to define the beauty in mathematics as well as in art, architecture, nature, and beyond. The first two chapters of this book introduce the Fibonacci numbers and investigate their amazing relationships and applications in our general environment. The following four chapters focus on the Golden Ratio and the Golden Rectangle, exploring how they manifest all around us, often hiding in plain sight: in everything from architectural wonders such as the Taj Mahal to coin design, and from Greek vases to petal formation. We conclude our enjoyable journey through these mathematical wonders by considering conic sections and how they explain many aspects of everyday life, such as radar dishes, headlight reflectors, and whispering halls. This exposure to aspects of mathematics that are usually bypassed in the school curriculum will provide high school students, teachers, and general readers with an opportunity to truly appreciate the power and beauty of mathematics.