Mathematics in Architecture, Art, 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.