golden ratio

noun

1. the ratio of two lengths, equal in value to (1 + √5)/2, and given by b / a = ( b + a )/ b ; it is the reciprocal of the golden section and also equal to (1 + golden section) Φ Compare golden section

Example Sentences

Proportions—think of the golden ratio and its kindred—are the bedrock of our reality, found in everything from music to the structure of the cosmos.

From Scientific American

“I didn’t know what the ‘golden ratio’ was in mathematics but someone came in and I looked it up.

From Los Angeles Times

In a similar way, the golden ratio φ can be constructed geometrically, as can many other irrational values.

From Scientific American

“It’s the square of the ‘plastic ratio,’” he said, “which is a number that has a lot of properties similar to the more famous ‘golden ratio.’”

From New York Times

The major work on the golden ratio was Luca Pacioli’s The Divine Proportion in 1509, which listed the appearance of the number in many geometric constructions and was illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci.

From Literature