golden section

noun

Fine Arts, Mathematics.

1. a ratio between two portions of a line, or the two dimensions of a plane figure, in which the lesser of the two is to the greater as the greater is to the sum of both: a ratio of approximately 0.618 to 1.000.

golden section

noun

1. the proportion of the two divisions of a straight line or the two dimensions of a plane figure such that the smaller is to the larger as the larger is to the sum of the two. If the sides of a rectangle are in this proportion and a square is constructed internally on the shorter side, the rectangle that remains will also have sides in the same proportion Compare golden ratio

golden section

1. The ratio between two numbers a and b chosen such that the ratio of a to b is equal to the ratio of a+b to a. Its value is approximately 1.618. Shapes with proportions equal to the golden section are observed especially in the fine arts and in architecture, as between the two dimensions of a plane figure such as a rectangle. The ratio between consecutive numbers in a Fibonacci sequence approximates the golden section with increasing precision as the series progresses.

2. Also called golden mean golden ratio

Word History and Origins

Origin of golden section¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

He was not himself an artist, but On Divine Proportion discusses the golden section, the principles of architecture and the design of typefaces.

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“Then I remembered that ‘golden section’ theory used in the composition of Renaissance painting, so I made my own grid to place over the monkey.”

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Looking at these divisions and the unpainted gaps along the edges, it is possible to imagine that the golden section determined the intervals.

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The nugget weighs 7 ounces and is part of the golden section of the collection, which makes up 8 percent of the exhibit’s total minerals.

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The expression "golden section" is not old, however, and its origin is uncertain.

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