VLQ: PATTERNS AND SYMMETIRES

Why is this mathematics?

- Math is a study of patterns
- Patterns may be numerical, logical, geometric
- Geometric patterns are nice to look at because of symmetry
- A pattern has symmetry if there is an isometry of the plane that preserves the pattern
o We can say that: “an isometry gives a pattern symmetry, which in turn makes the
pattern beautiful and nice to look at”

Transformations, isometries
 Transformation—process which shifts points of the plane to possible new locations in
the plane
o 4 main types of transformation discussed here:
(1) Translation,
(2) Reflection,
(3) Rotation,
(4) Dilation
 Only the first 3 DO NOT change the shape and size of the image
 The last one, expands or contracts the pre-image. And therefore cannot
be categorized as an isometry
 Isometry of the plane—mapping that preserves distance (and therefore shape)
o 4 types of plane isometries:
(1) Translation
(2) Reflection
(3) Rotation
(4) Glide reflection

1. Translation (slide)
- A translation moves a shape in a given direction by sliding it up, down, sideways, or
diagonally

2. Reflection (flip)
- A reflection can be thought of as getting a mirror image
 3. Rotation (turn)
- A rotation has a point about which the rotation is made and an angle that says how far
to rotate

360°
o =n n-fold rotation= 2-fold rotation= half-turn
∅
Dilation
- A dilation is a transformation which changes the size of an object
o This re-sizing is what disqualifies a dilation from being categorized as an isometry

4. Glide reflection
- A glide reflection is a combination of 2 transformations: a reflection and a translation
along the line of reflection

o You will still get the same image even if you translate the image before it gets
reflected

Isometries
 Isometries—transformations which leave the dimensions of the object and its image
unchanged
 Distance preserving transformations
 From Greek isos (equal) and metron (measure)
 Also called isometric transformations or rigid (inflexible) transformations

Composition of isometries
Reflection Translation Rotation Glide reflection
Reflection Translation or Glide reflection Glide reflection Translation or
rotation rotation
Translation Glide reflection Translation Rotation Reflection or
glide reflection
Rotation Glide reflection Rotation Rotation or Glide reflection
 transition
Glide reflection Translation or Reflection or Glide reflection Translation or
rotation glide reflection rotation

Symmetric pattern
- A plane pattern has symmetry if there is an isometry of the plane that preserves it
- Types of symmetric patterns:
(1) Rosette patterns
(2) Frieze patterns
(3) Wallpaper patterns

1. Rosette patterns
 Rosette patterns—finite group of isometries which can contain just rotations and
reflections
 2 types of rosette patterns:
(1) (cyclic) C n- has n-fold rotational symmetry and no reflectional symmetry
(2) (dihedral) D n- has n-fold rotational symmetry and reflectional symmetry
 Examples of rosette patterns

2. Frieze patterns
 A frieze pattern is an infinitely long strip imprinted with a design given by a repeating
motif
 It has translational symmetry in one direction. That is, it has at least the basic unit and a
copy of it by translation

 We imagine that they go on to infinity in both directions or wrap around

 Examples of frieze patterns

 There are 7 types:

(1) Only translation
(2) Glide reflection
(3) Horizontal reflection
(4) Vertical reflection
(5) Half turn
(6) Horizontal and vertical reflections
(7) Glide reflection and vertical reflection
3. Wallpaper patterns
- A wallpaper pattern covers the plane and can be mapped onto itself by translations in
more than one direction
- For a plane figure to qualify as a wallpaper pattern, it must have at least the basic unit,
one copy by translation, and a copy of these two by translation in a second direction.
That is, there must be at least two rows, each one at least two units long
o A wallpaper pattern is essentially an arrangement of friezes stacked on one
another to fill the entire plane
- Examples of wallpaper patterns

- Generating a wallpaper pattern

(1) Motif:
(2) Reflect
 (3) Rotate by 90
(4) Reflect about the axis that is 135 counter-clockwise from horizonal

(5) translate the unit vertically and horizontally

Tessellation (tiling)
- A tessellation is a repeating pattern of figures that completely covers a plane, without
gaps or overlaps
- You can create tessellations with translations, rotations, and reflections
- You can find tessellations in art, nature (cells in a honeycomb), and everyday life (tiled
floors)
Regular, semi-regular
 Regular tessellation—made up of congruent regular polygons
o Only three exists: made up of equilateral triangles, squares, hexagons
 Semi-regular tessellation—uses a variety of regular polygons
o There are eight of these

QUIZ
1. Mathematics is a study of patterns
a. True
b. False
2. Which of the following describes a map that assigns to a figure another figure that is
of the same shape and size?
a. Isometry
b. Transformation
c. Dilation
3. Which of the following transformations is similar to the motion of sliding?
a. Translation
b. Reflection
4. A 6-fold rotation has an angle of rotation equal to ____
a. 45 degrees
b. 60 degrees
c. 90 degrees
d. 120 degrees
5. A dilation is a transformation that retains the size and shape of an object
a. True
b. False
6. Isometries are distance-preserving transformations
a. True
b. False
7. Glide reflection is a combination of a reflection and a rotation
a. True
b. False
8. Which of the following is an isometry?
a. Reflection
b. Rotation
c. Translation
d. Glide reflection
e. Dilations
9. Which type of rosette pattern has a reflectional symmetry?
a. Cyclic
b. Dihedral
10. An asterisk (*) is an example of rosette pattern of type _____
a. D9
b. D8
 c. C9
d. C8
11. Which of the following symmetries is common to all types of frieze patterns?
a. Glide reflection
b. Rotation
c. Translation
d. Dilation
e. Reflection
12. Which of the following types of patterns requires at least two translations in different
directions?
a. Frieze
b. Rosette
c. Wallpaper

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden ratio

Gist
- Mathematical concepts and influences can be seen in both nature and human creations,
such as art
- Seeing patterns in nature has led many. To believe that such patterns are evidence of
divine creation
- The relationship between mathematical concepts and aesthetics has influenced art;
some even view mathematics itself as an art

Fibonacci sequence
- The Fibonacci numbers are the numbers in the following integer sequence:
1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144, ….
The rule:
1+1= 2
2+1= 3
3+2= 5
You get the number by adding the two numbers before it
- The Fibonacci sequence is named after Leonardo of Pisa, also known as Fibonacci (Filius
Bonacci), who first observed the pattern while investigating how fast rabbits could
breed under ideal circumstances
- Defined by the recurrence relation:
F n=F n−1+ F 2
With seed values: F 1=1 and F 2=1
Example:
Fibonacci sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, …..
F1 F 2 F 3 F 4 F 5 F 6 F 7 F 8 F 9 …..
F 20=F19 + F18
1. What is F 6−2 F 2?
 o Since F 6=8 , and F 2=1
o Then: 8-2(1)= 6

F9
2. What is F F + ?
4
F3
o Since F 4=3 , and F 3=2, and F 9=34
34
o We then have: F 3+
2
o To simplify: 2 + 17= 19
- An alternative formula/ Binet’s formula: it allows us to get the Fibonacci sequence
WITHOUT knowing the previous numbers
F n=¿ ¿
3. F 20=¿ ¿

Fibonacci sequence in nature

- Sunflowers
- Sneezewort
- The number of petals in daises
- Cauliflower florets
- Pine cones
- Pineapples

Fibonacci sequence in math

- Studies as part of number theory
o The Fibonacci numbers are known to possess remarkable numerical properties.
For example, did you know that the sums and differences of Fibonacci numbers
are also Fibonacci numbers? Or that the ratios of Fibonacci numbers converge to
a particular number?
The ratios of Fibonacci numbers converge:
1 2 3 5 8 13
, , , , , ,….
1 1 2 3 5 8
And they converge or get nearer and nearer to 1.618

1.618 is the golden ratio

- Fibonacci search technique

- Fibonacci heap data structure
- Fibonacci cubes
- Fibonacci-like Lucas numbers

Golden ratios
 - Two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the
large quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one

- In the golden rectangle, the ratio of the longer side to the shorter is the golden ratio
L
=golden ratio
W
- The golden ratio shows up in art, architecture, music, and nature. Many artists and
architects have set their works to approximate the golden ratio, believing this
proportion to be aesthetically pleasing
- Fibonacci numbers are intimately connected with the golden ratio
o Divide any number in the Fibonacci sequence by the one before it and tabulate
the results. The answers converge to 1.61803

Checkpoint
(1) List the first fifteen Fibonacci numbers
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610
F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F 10 F 11 F 12 F 13 F 14 F 15

(2) If two successive terms of the Fibonacci sequence are both odd, is he next term even or
odd?
o Let a, b= successive Fibonacci numbers which are both odd
o a+b= even.
o This is because the sum of 2 odd numbers = even number

(3) What is the approximate value of the golden ratio to the nearest thousandth?
o 1.618

QUIZ:
1. What is the 14th term of the Fibonacci sequence?
a. 367
b. 377
c. 378
d. 379
2. What is the value of F 4 +2 F 6?
a. 19
b. 20
c. 21
d. 22
3. Which of the following describes the function whose limit as n approaches infinity
gives the golden ratio?
a. (Fn-1) / (Fn)
b. (Fn) / (Fn-1)
 c. Fn + Fn-1
4. Which of the following numbers is closest to the value of the golden ratio?
a. 3.142
b. 1.168
c. 2.718
d. 1.618