| Phi
is the basis for the Golden Section, Ratio or Mean
The ratio, or proportion, determined by Phi (1.618...) was known
to the Greeks as the "dividing a line in the extreme and mean
ratio" and to Renaissance artists as the "Divine Proportion"
It is also called the Golden Section, Golden Ratio and the Golden
Mean.
What is Phi?
Phi ( = 1.618033988749895... ), most often pronounced fi like "fly,"
is simply an irrational number like pi ( p = 3.14159265358979...),
but one with many unusual mathematical properties.
Phi, like Pi, is a ratio
defined by a geometric construction
Just as pi (p) is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to
its diameter, phi () is simply the ratio of the line segments that
result when a line is divided in one very special and unique way.
|
 |
Phi
creates a sense of beauty
Phi appears throughout life and the universe. Some believe that
it is the most efficient outcome, the result of natural forces.
Some believe it is a universal constant of design, the signature
of God.
Whatever you believe, the pervasive appearance
of phi in all we see and experience creates a sense of balance,
harmony and beauty in the design of all we find in nature.
It should be no surprise then that mankind would
use this same proportion found in nature to achieve balance, harmony
and beauty in its own creations of art, architecture, colors, design,
composition, space and even music.
|
