By the Numbers

Despite the fact that even the simplest math equation can befuddle me, I find the congruence of math and nature through patterns amazing. In his book Mathematics in Nature: Modeling Patterns in the Natural WorldJohn A. Adam explains these patterns on a variety of levels so that even those math challenged like myself can appreciate them. The idea of an ordered universe where the formation of waves  in a puddle or dunes in sand are both ruled by mathematical relationships, and the wonderful tendency of plants, seashells, and even cracks in the mud to have recurring mathematical patterns is very comforting to me.