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Without mathematics there is no art

-Luca Pacioli
The mathematics we learn has not been invented but rather discovered. Maths holds certain universal truths
and Golden Ratio is one of them. The golden ratio seems to be natures perfect number and it can be
expressed as
A mathematical equation of aesthetically pleasing composition
Throughout history, thinkers from mathematicians to theologicians have pondered the mysterious relationship
between numbers and the nature of reality. The number at the heart of that mystery is phi
(=1.6180339887.....) and this curious mathematical relationship, widely known as The Golden Ratio, was
discovered by Euclid more than 2000 years ago.
The golden ratio is a captivating journey through art and architecture, botany and biology, physics and
mathematics. It tells the human story of numerous phi-fixated individuals, including the followers of
Pythagoras who believed that this proportion revealed the hand of God and Johannes Kepler saw phi as the
greatest treasure of geometry.
The golden ratio; the golden mean; ; the divine section; the golden cut; the golden proportion; the divine
proportion- this could be kept for hours. There are probably as many different names for the golden ratio as
there are its occurrences and applications. It really doesnt matter what we want to call it, because at the end
of the day we are all talking about the same thing- the most irrational number ever.
The golden ratio is one of those concepts that are so incredible in its properties, presence and applicability
that the concept of it can easily overwhelm people. For us, the students of architecture- the golden ratio is as
fundamental to our would be occupation as knowledge of heat and timing is to a cook. Some architecture
does exist that doesnt use the golden ratio. Just as some cooking doesnt use a stove or oven, but knowing
its use is more or less the required knowledge to be able to discuss and appreciate architecture.
There are few buildings that closely fit into the ratio. This brings up a very valid point that unless there is an
extremely precise and accurate need for the golden ratio, it doesnt have to get down into the minute
measurements of millimetres. A design worked out as per the golden ratio is not only easily recognised by
other architects but it is also harmoniously felt by non-architects too.
The golden ratio is believed to be the ideal proportion, often used as a standard for beautiful measurements
in art, architecture in fact in almost all sciences and other areas including the human anatomy. The idea
behind it is actually much simpler than the maths behind it and therefore the uses of the golden scale are
nearly endless, most commonly found in the use of rectangles and squares.
At least since the 20
th
century, many artists and architects have proportioned their works to approximate the
golden ratio- especially in the form of the GOLDEN RECTANGLE, in which the ratio of the longer side to the
shorter side is the golden ratio- believing this ratio to be aesthetically pleasing. The golden rectangle is
thought to be the most pleasing of all rectangles. It is neither too thin nor too thick but just right (also known
as baby bear rectangles). Apparently many buildings use the golden ratio.
Not only does the golden ratio pop-up everywhere, it also seems that the human eye is very attracted to the
results of the ratio. Adrian Bejan, professor of mechanical engineering at Dukes Pratt School of Engineering,
thinks that the golden ratio can be seen all around us because the eyes scan an image the fastest when it is
shaped as a golden ratio rectangle. In Bejans words:
When we look at what so many people have been drawing and building, we see these proportions
everywhere. It is well known that the eyes take in the information more efficiently when they scan side to
side, as opposed to up and down.
The golden ratio, for some reason, seems to appeal to our natural instincts. The most basic example is in
natural objects. Till date, all the things that can be perceived as beautiful fit into the golden ratio. It is one
thing that- pinecones and sunflowers, rose petals and mollusc shells, the galaxy, Leonardo da Vinci, Greeks,
Romans and the people of renaissance have in common.
The ancient EGYPTIANS were the first to use mathematics in art. It seems almost certain that they ascribed
magical properties to the golden section and used it in the design of their pyramids. However they didnt
know the but they looked for a harmonic proportion that as a consequence, was next to the golden
number. If we take a cross section of the great Pyramid, we get a right triangle. The ratio of the slant height
of the pyramid (the hypotenuse) to the distance from the ground centre (half the base dimension) is
1.61804....which differs from phi by only one unit in the fifth decimal place.
Before Euclid, the Athenian sculptor and architect PHIDIAS (490-432 BCE) gets generally credited with
having pioneered the use of this ratio in his design of the PARTHENON TEMPLE for ATHENA- the Greek
goddess of wisdom, science and art. To honour Phidias for its use that modern mathematicians often
designate this ratio with the Greek letter = phi. The Parthenon is perhaps the best example of a
mathematical approach to art. The Parthenon can be inserted in a golden rectangle because the relationship
between its base and its height is 1.618: the golden number. This relationship is also visible in other
elements and decorations of the pediment. The facade has been edged with a rectangle that can be realised
as a golden rectangle.

Pythagoras discoveries of the proportions of the human figure had a tremendous effect on Greek art. Every
part of their major buildings, down to the smallest detail of decoration was constructed upon this proportion.
The golden ratio has been widely used in the ROMANESQUE STYLE and can be seen in Modenas Duomo
(it has 5 golden rectangles on the facade) and Pisas Duomo. Brunelleschi (De Pazzi Chapel 1429-1461),
Andrea Palladio (villa Barbaro in Maser 1555-1559) and Redentores Church (1577-1592) are few examples
from the RENAISSANCE period. Notre Dame in Paris is another well known example where golden ratio can
be seen. Other examples being- The Porch of Maidens, Acropolis and Chartres Cathedral. In India it was
used in the construction of the Taj Mahal which was completed in 1648.

The famous architect- Le Corbusier designed an entire proportional system called the MODULAR that was
based on the golden ratio. He deliberately incorporated some golden rectangles as the shapes of windows or
other aspects of buildings he designed.
Today architects are still frequently using the golden section in their work. In the United Nations building, the
ratio of the width of the building compared with the height of every ten floors is golden. The CN Tower in
Toronto, the tallest tower and free standing structure in the world contains the golden section in its design.
The ratio of its total height of 553.33 metres to the height of the observation deck at 342 metres is 1.618.
The use of golden ratio is not just limited to architecture but in art and music too. Although in music, the
implementation of the dimension ratio is quite complicated still, the golden ratio finds its application here and
can be observed in the works of fabled artists Mozart and Beethovan. In the works of art, Leonardo da Vincis
Mona Lisa, Salvador Dalis- sacrament of the last supper, the vitruvian man, Michelangelos David etc. all fit
into the golden rectangle.
The golden ratio can also be observed in human anatomy. The ratio of the distance from the belly to our feet
to the distance from belly to the top of head is 1.618. the forearm is approximately 1.618 times as long as the
hand and each segment in our finger is roughly 1.618 times as long as the next one. The mouths are
generally 1.618 times as wide as the nose and the distance between the pupils is about 1.618 times as wide
as the mouth. The face that exactly fits into this is known as a golden face and is perceived as perfect.

The golden spiral also occurs frequently in nature. It can be seen in the human ear, head of daisy, in
sunflower, leaves, branches and petals grow in spiral too. In this arrangement new leaves dont block the sun
from older leaves and the maximum amount of rain gets directed towards the root. The angle between them
is generally 137.5degrees, also known as the GOLDEN ANGLE. Even our heart pulses, the DNA spiral, the
snow flake crystals, the face of tiger, rings of Saturn, and body sections of- ants, penguins, dolphin and
butterfly are all golden in nature. The design of a violin and the piano keyboard (that is number of keys in
each bracket) are also based on the golden section.
There are critics who say that the golden ratio is not found in everything, as we know, the Fibonacci
sequence is directly linked to the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence was based on population growth
under perfect conditions. In other words, NO EXTERNAL or ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS WOULD
INFLUENCE the rate of population growth. Obviously this is not the way it really is in Nature. Thus we will not
find this pattern in everything because external or environmental factors change the way things grow.

As we can see, the trees have completely changed the way they grow because of a constant wind blowing
from one direction. Due to this, the tree could not grow normally. Hence, we wont be able to find golden ratio
here. We cant as Ideal Conditions arent present, but this can be said that the golden ratio was present in
the earlier stages.
Thus, we can conclude that the golden ratio does exist in nature and having realised this we must adhere to
it. It seems the nature moves around the golden ratio. The nature sustains by itself. The grass in fields
doesnt try to grow upwards but it grows naturally and harmoniously without any endeavour. In all the cases,
the problem begins when we start interfering with the arrangements of the nature. Throughout the lives of
humans on earth it can be noted that whenever man has intervened in the functioning of nature, it has
resulted in devastation and ultimately we have to come back to be in harmony with the nature. The
indiscriminate use of glass and steel structures after the Industrial Revolution and the present day slogans of
go green or the huge demand of Vernacular, Sustainable or Traditional architecture further strengthens the
above said notion.
Sir James Jean is well known for saying:
God is mathematician.
This subject argues for Gods existence and his intelligent arrangement of nature to fit a pattern and at the
same time creating us in such a way as to be pleased by it. The existence of golden ratio in nature also
argues for an absolute basis for beauty, that beauty is not all only in the mind of the human beholder. The
beauty, symmetry and order in nature shows the greatness of the God who made it all.



Therefore, we should build our structures keeping in view this golden ratio and if we deviate from this, we
should come out with new experiences and experiments which would re-establish the golden ratio and at the
same time new conclusions with far reaching visions and horizons will be drawn out. This would further storm
our minds that everything moves in certain proportion and certain direction which may be unknown at a given
point of time but unravel the new vistas in human thinking and can further brain storm the perspective
evolution in Architecture.

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