Post 3: Geometry in nature

If we take a look at our surroundings, we can find a lot of landscapes in which we can appreciate the harmonious language of Mathematics. If we look closely at the shapes and relationships in nature we can notice the perfection in the different geometric shapes.

We can find different concepts that directly relate the field of Geometry with nature, plants, flowers, animals..., for example:

The divine proportion

The petals of flowers (most of them) have a perfect symmetry, similar to others in nature, such as the shell of a snail, mineral crystals and even our galaxy.

This symmetry is called the "divine proportion", "golden ratio" or "golden number". It is a very recurrent number in some patterns in nature.

In Latin it is represented by the Greek letter phi (1.618 = quotient of its larger side over its smaller side) and is a unique and harmoniously aesthetic code.

Fractal proportion.

Fractal proportion would be another example of this beautiful connection, as it is the repetition of the structure of an element at smaller scales. As in the petals of the Dahlia, which are similar.

The fractal proportion is constant in botany, and we can find it in numerous parts of different plants.

In the case of plants, this design allows them to maximise surface area and thus capture as much light, CO2 and oxygen as possible.

Different parts of geometry can also be observed in some fruits, as for example with the circumference: if we cut an orange in half, we can clearly see how there is a circumference with perfectly defined radii.

"Plantas de regla"

Crassula Buddha's Temple Plant, for example, is an evergreen succulent with flat and, like the rest of this group, thick leaves. They are symmetrical and therefore very attractive to the eye.

There are a lot of plants like this one, like for example the Lobelia deckenii

Nature and landscapes are full of geometric figures, which lend us with spectacular images, so in this webpage, you will find a lot of examples of this, like for example the following:

You will also find the places in which you can see them, so maybe one day you can observe them in person!

There are a lot of resources and videos in which you can find more information about this wonderful topic