You may already know this, but in your observation about "math having only so many shapes" has been explored in some depth. There is a wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patterns_in_nature

but I first learned about it from the book, "Patterns in Nature", by Peter S. Stevens (http://www.amazon.com/Patterns-Nature-Peter-S-Stevens/dp/031...), which was recommended to me by a noted poet.