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golden ratio

British  

noun

  1.  Φ.  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) Compare golden section

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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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

“I love that you included the golden ratio and the shells on the beach with the holes in them,” Ms. Solomon said about the moon snail.

From Literature