golden section


noun Fine Arts, Mathematics.

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.
Also called golden mean.

Origin of golden section

First recorded in 1870–75

British Dictionary definitions for golden section

golden section

golden mean


noun

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

Scientific definitions for golden section

golden section
[ gōldən ]

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. Also called golden mean golden ratio