🖖 I didn't know they knew that

Are you like me?

I’ve never had much of a math brain. If you tell me a that an equation or set of equations relates to a certain concept, I get it.

Makes sense.

Plugging numbers into word problems… not so much.

But one of the more interesting sets of equations I’ve come across is used everywhere.

I first discovered them while learning 3D art.

Here they are:

ϕ = 137.5°

r = c√n

θ = 360° / φ

θ = θ_0 + nθ_g

You put it all together and you get this:

Phyllotaxis.

Don’t recognise it?

How about now?

Phyllotaxis. In good ole’ Greek it means ‘leaf order.’

It’s how plants arrange themselves. Leaf placement. Seed arrangement like pinecones. Flower petals. Cauliflower florets.

Plants have evolved to be so smart so they could survive.

They need to

• maximise sun exposure for photosynthesis

• keep their balance

• maximise opportunities for water collection

• space leaves out so they can breathe

I always thought that plants just grew however they needed to keep their balance. Didn’t realise they were using algorithms.

Who-da-thunk-it?

How to use it

Math ain’t too bad after all when you tell us how to use it. In school the focus was on remembering facts for the exam.

Fields like physics become more interesting when you can use it.

So how do we use something like phyllotaxis?

The whole goal is optimisation.

City planning and street layouts could follow these models for improved traffic patterns.

Architecture of homes and buildings could follow the same principles to reduce costs and materials. Solar panel placement. Even bridges.

Biotech is another area. Designing better nanotechnology and tissue engineering for injured persons.

Hell even product design.

Shoe towers. Lamps.

So the next time you see a plant in the ground or on your plate, remember how smart it is to know all that math.