University Mathematics: Reflection Paper on Math's Mystery

This reflection paper explores the author's fascination with mathematics, emphasizing its presence and applicability in all aspects of nature and the universe. The paper discusses how mathematical laws define the universe, providing examples such as constellations, patterns in the human body, and the Fibonacci sequence. It highlights the significance of Pi and its applications in calculating various phenomena. The author also reflects on how mathematics is used to understand unseen aspects of the world, such as patterns in the Bible. The paper concludes that mathematics is a powerful tool for understanding the universe, shaping our thinking, and driving discoveries and inventions. The author believes in the mystery of mathematics and appreciates its impact on our lives, acknowledging its role in modern technologies.

Running head: REFLECTION PAPER
REFLECTION PAPER
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Reflection Paper
Mathematical ideas are present and applicable in all aspects of nature and the universe,
only that sometimes we do not acknowledge them. I am lucky to be among people who loves
mathematics and I must say without fear or contradiction that it is a very intriguing subject.
Nature and the universe are defined by mathematical laws. There are numerous astonishing
advances that continue to make our lives better and all of them are based on the knowledge of
mathematics (Andersson & Wagner, 2018). Therefore based on the manner in which
mathematics is controlling our life, I am in the group of those who believe in the mystery of
mathematics.
I have learned from the video that mathematics is profoundly rooted in the universe’s
structure to the extent that it can remarkably model the universe. Everything we see in the
universe can be explained by mathematics. The stars’ patterns known as constellations, days
turning to nights and vice versa and leading to seasons form a pattern called time, the human
body’s symmetrical patterns, stripes of a tiger, a nautilus shell’s swirl, a sunflower’s spiral, a
head of cabbage’s spiral, a galaxy’s whirlpool, and planets’ elliptical orbits are a few examples
of natural phenomena that demonstrate mathematical ideas. All these show that when we look at
nature, we are able to see numbers all over us. One astonishing thing I have also learned is that
these numbers may appear to be random but they are actually part of Fibonacci sequence – an
arbitrary progression of numbers that was developed by a mathematician in the 13th century.
Surprisingly, Fibonacci numbers are very common in nature. They appear in botany such as petal
counts of daisies, pine cone scales’ spirals and sunflower head seeds, among others. This is not
because plants know mathematics or have any interest in it but it is because mathematical laws
define nature and the universe.

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Pi (π) is another interesting mathematical number that I have learned about from the
video. Even though it is largely known for calculating parameters of circular objects, it also helps
in calculating, revealing and understanding probabilities, sinusoidal equations, colours that
appear in a rainbow, spherical shapes of apples’ cells, a supernova brightness, how a piano’s
middle-C is supposed to sound and other harmonious, beautiful musical tones produced by
various musical instruments (Mawatwal, 2017).
We use wireless technology for global communication and money transfer, we access
unlimited content from the intent on our mobile devices, physicists are examining the essence of
matter, and engineers have successfully landed a rover on Mars. According to the video, all these
wonders can only be associated with an inexplicably powerful ‘thing’ referred to as the
universe’s language, which is mathematics. In other words, mathematical equations and
predictions have made all these discoveries and wonders possible (Robinson, 2016).
Another important lesson I have learned from the video is that mathematics is also
applicable to the unseen world. It was used to understand some of the patterns of words found in
the Bible where numbers have been matched with Hebrew letters. This is just a mystery of maths
and it shows how humans use mathematics as a tool for unlocking the universe’s mysteries.
Discoveries and ideas such as space exploration, climate change projections, population
predictions and stock market performances, are all driven by and based on mathematical ideas.
There is no doubt that mathematics is one of the key elements that are shaping our thinking and
future.
We all use mathematics in our day-to-day activities regardless of whether we are good or
poor with numbers. Mathematics has over centuries revealed to us the secrets of nature and the
universe. From the various examples provided in the video, I can conclude that mathematics is so

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powerful that it is directly associated with how everything in the universe happens. Therefore the
best way to explore and understand nature and the universe is by understanding and applying
different mathematical laws. The astonishing wonders of mathematics makes it a sophisticated
combination of discoveries and inventions, but it is more of a discovery or the universe’s
language than a human invention. We are enjoying the benefits of modern technologies such as
big data, artificial intelligence, robots, drones, internet and electronic money transfer, courtesy of
mathematics. Therefore the knowledge I have gained from the video makes me believe in the
mystery of mathematics and appreciate it even more in relation to the impact it has on our lives.
Works Cited

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Andersson, A., & Wagner, D. (2018). Remythologizing Mystery in Mathematics: Teaching for Open
Landscapes versus Concealment. Education Sciences, 8(41), 1-14.
Mawatwal, M. (2017, December 25). The Great Math Mystery. Medium. Retrieved from
https://medium.com/@manishmawatwal/the-great-math-mystery-5f64207edade
Robinson, J. (2016, March 21). NOVA: The Great Math Mystery. KPBS. Retrieved from
https://www.kpbs.org/news/2015/apr/14/nova-great-math-mystery/