TYPES OF
PATTERNS
by Group 1
1. SYMMETRY
• refers to a sense of harmonious and
beautiful proportion and balance. An object
is said to be symmetrical if it remains
unchanged (invariant) under various
transformations such as reflection, rotation,
or scaling.
a) Bilateral Symmetry
- is a type of symmetry in Notable in: Most animals
which the left and right mainly have bilateral or
sides of an organism can vertical symmetry. It is also
be divided into seen in plant leaves and
approximately mirror certain flowers such as
images along the midline. orchids.
Examples: Insects, animals,
plants, flowers, and others.
b) Radial or Rotational Symmetry
a type of symmetry around a fixed point known as the center. It
can be classified as:
• Cyclic : Repeating pattern in a circular arrangement.
• Dihedral : Involves both reflection and rotation (e.g., D4, D5
symmetry).
Examples:
• Fivefold symmetry (D5): Found in echinoderms such as starfish,
sea urchins, and sea lilies.
• Fourfold symmetry (D4): Seen in jellyfish and sea anemones.
• Plants: Many flowers and plant structures also show radial
symmetry.
Radial symmetry suits
organisms that do not
move (like sea
anemones) or float in
water (like jellyfish),
allowing them to
interact with their
surroundings from all
directions.
2. Fractals
• are shapes where each part looks like the whole — a pattern that
repeats at different scales. This is called self-similarity.
• are repeating patterns commonly found in nature.
Examples:
Tree branches, Lightning bolts, Veins in the body, Ferns, River systems
3. SPIRALS
• A spiral is a curved pattern that winds around a central point, forming circular shapes. A
logarithmic spiral, also called a growth spiral, is self-similar and commonly found in nature
• First described by René Descartes and studied by Jacob Bernoulli, it appears as a natural
solution for balanced growth and stability.
Examples:
• Pine cones, Pineapples, Hurricanes
Purpose in nature:
• Helps plants grow while staying secure.
FIBONACCI SEQUENCE
a series of numbers where a number is found by adding up the
two numbers before it.
• Starting with 0 and 1, the sequence goes:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34...
Written as a rule:
• Xₙ = Xₙ₋₁ + Xₙ₋₂
FIBONACCI SEQUENCE
• Named after Fibonacci, also known as Leonardo of Pisa or
Leonardo Pisano, these numbers were first introduced in his
Liber Abbaci (Book of Calculation) in 1202.
• Fibonacci, the son of a Pisan merchant, traveled widely and
traded extensively. Mathematics was important in the trading
industry, and his passion for numbers began in his youth.
THE HABBIT RABBIT
One of the book's exercises which is written like this
"A man put a pair of rabbits in a place surrounded on all sides
by a wall. How many pairs of rabbits are produced from that
pair in a year, if it supposed that every month each pair
produces a new pair, which from the second month onwards
becomes productive?"
This is best understood in this diagram:
• The sequence encountered in the rabbit problem 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13,
21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, ..... is called the Fibonacci sequence
and its terms the Fibonacci numbers.
Leonardo of Pisa, also known as Fibonacci, discovered a sequence that forms an
interesting pattern:
• 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34...
Each number is obtained by adding the last two numbers.
Golden Rectangle:
• A perfect rectangle formed using the Fibonacci sequence. It can be broken
down into smaller squares, each sized based on the previous Fibonacci number.
Fibonacci Spiral:
• By drawing arcs in each square of the golden rectangle, a spiral is formed.
• This spiral—called the Fibonacci spiral—appears frequently in nature
Fibonacci Numbers in Nature
Flower petals often follow the Fibonacci
sequence:
• 1 petal – White calla lily
• 2 petals – Euphorbia
• 3 petals – Trillium
• 5 petals – Columbine
• 8 petals – Bloodroot
• 13 petals – Black-eyed Susan
• 21 petals – Shasta daisy
• 34 petals – Field daisy
• 55 & 89 petals – Other types of daisies
Fibonacci Sequence in Nature
Sunflowers:
• The seed pattern shows two spirals in opposite directions—clockwise and
counterclockwise.
• The number of spirals in each direction are consecutive Fibonacci numbers, often 34 and
55.
Tree Branching:
• Trees follow the Fibonacci sequence in how branches form. A main trunk produces a
branch, creating two growth points. Then one stem branches again while the other stays
dormant, repeating the pattern.
• Example: Sneezewort
Other Examples:
GOLDEN RATIO
Fibonacci's discovery of the sequence led to a surprising connection with the golden
ratio. Over time, the ratio between Fibonacci numbers approaches this value.
Historical Note:
• The golden ratio was first called the Divine Proportion in the early 1500s through
Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings in Luca Pacioli’s book De Divina Proportione (1509).
• It was likely da Vinci who first referred to it as "section aurea" (Latin for Golden
Section).
Mathematical Definition:
• Two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio of their sum to the larger is the
same as the ratio of the larger to the smaller.
GOLDEN RATIO
In Fibonacci:
• Plotting the Fibonacci numbers
creates a spiral that reflects the
golden ratio visually.
Golden Triangle
The golden ratio can also be found in an isosceles triangle.
• If we take an isosceles triangle with two base angles of 72° and bisect one of the
base angles, we form a smaller golden triangle, similar to the golden rectangle.
• Repeating this process creates a set of whirling triangles.
• These triangles can be used to draw a logarithmic spiral, which converges at the
intersection of the two lines.
• The ratio of the lengths of these two lines is in the Golden Ratio
Golden Ratio in Nature
• Math manifests itself everywhere—even in nature—
through the Golden Ratio, a concept rooted in the
Fibonacci sequence. It has fascinated mathematicians,
scientists, and artists for hundreds of years. The
Golden Ratio appears across the universe, on Earth,
and even in ourselves.
1. Flower Petals 2. Faces
• Number of petals often follows Facial features align with
the sequence: 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, golden sections—mouth and
or 55. nose are placed proportionally
Examples: Lily (3), Buttercup (5), between the eyes and chin.
Chicory (21), Daisy (34 or 55). Similar proportions appear
from the side, and in the eye
and ear.
3. Body Parts
The Golden Section, also known as Phi, appears in the way our bodies
are shaped. The human body follows the number 5 in many ways:
• We have 5 main parts connected to the torso: 2 arms, 2 legs, and 1
head.
• Each hand and foot has 5 fingers or toes.
• The face has 5 openings: 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, and 1 mouth.
• Even animals often show this same pattern in their body structure.
4. Seed Heads
Seeds form at the center and spiral outward—seen clearly in sunflowers.
5. Fruits, Vegetables, and Trees
Spiral patterns appear in many plants like pineapples and cauliflower.
Fibonacci numbers also show up in tree branches and the number of
leaves on a stem—numbers like 3 and 5 are common, while 4 is rare.
6. Shells
Shells of snails and nautiluses grow in a logarithmic spiral. This same
pattern is found in the inner ear (cochlea), also goat horns, and certain
spider webs.
7. Spiral Galaxies
• Spiral galaxies are the most
common galaxy shape. The Milky
Way has several spiral arms,
each of them a logarithmic spiral
of about 12 degrees.
8. Hurricanes
• It's amazing how closely the
powerful swirls of hurricane
match the Fibonacci sequence.
Thank you for
listening :)
