Brief Overview of ϕ
ϕ (phi) is a number equal to approximately 1.618, or It appears in a lot of famous pieces of art, including a large number of famous buildings and paintings. The most famous of these is Leonardo da Vinci's Virtruvian Man, which comes close to reaching ϕ.
ϕ as a number is fairly unique. For example, ϕ + 1/ϕ = 1. However, ϕ is just a number. As a ratio, though, it seems to be very visually appealing. It is so appealing, in fact, that a rectangle with it's sides in a 1:ϕ proportion is called a "golden rectangle."
ϕ as a number is fairly unique. For example, ϕ + 1/ϕ = 1. However, ϕ is just a number. As a ratio, though, it seems to be very visually appealing. It is so appealing, in fact, that a rectangle with it's sides in a 1:ϕ proportion is called a "golden rectangle."