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The '''golden ratio''' or '''phi''' (Greek letter Φ / φ / ϕ) may be defined by a/b such that a/b = (a+b)/a. It follows that ϕ-1 = 1/ϕ, and also that ϕ = (1+sqrt(5))/2, or approximately 1.6180339887... ϕ is an irrational number that appears in many branches of mathematics.
{{Wikipedia}}
 
The '''golden ratio''' or '''phi''' (Greek letter <math>\varphi</math> or <math>\phi</math>) is an irrational number that appears in many branches of mathematics, defined as the <math>\frac{a}{b}</math> such that <math>\frac{a}{b} = \frac{a+b}{a}</math>. It follows that <math>\varphi - 1 = \frac1{\varphi}</math>, and also that <math>\varphi = \frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2}</math>, or approximately 1.6180339887...
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio Wikipedia article on phi]


== Musical applications ==
== Musical applications ==


Phi taken as a musical ratio (ϕ*f where f=1/1) is about 833.1 cents. This is sometimes called "acoustical phi".
The golden ratio can be used as a frequency multiplier or as a pitch fraction; in the former case it is known as [[acoustic phi]] and in the latter case it is known as [[logarithmic phi]]. These two versions of phi have completely different musical applications which can be read about in detail on their separate pages. [[Lemba]] is a notable [[regular temperament]] for approximating both versions of phi simultaneously, requiring only two of its [[generators]] for logarithmic phi, and only one each of its generator and [[period]] for acoustic phi.  
 
As the ratios of successive terms of the Fibonacci sequence converge on phi, the just intonation intervals 3/2, 5/3, 8/5, 13/8, 21/13, ... converge on ~833.1 cents.


"Logarithmic phi", or 1200*ϕ cents = 1941.6 cents (or, octave-reduced, 741.6 cents) is also useful as a generator, for example in [[Erv Wilson]]'s "Golden Horagrams".
== Compositions based on the golden ratio ==
* ''[[Star Nursery]]'' - [[Sean Archibald]] (2021)
* ''[[Abyss]]'' - [[T.C. Edwards]] (2024)


== Additional reading ==
== External links ==
* [http://tonalsoft.com/enc/p/phi.aspx Phi Φ / phi φ] on [[Tonalsoft Encyclopedia]]


* [[Generating a scale through successive divisions of the octave by the Golden Ratio]]
[[Category:Golden ratio]]
* [[Phi as a Generator]]
[[Category:Irrational intervals]]
* [[sqrtphi]], a temperament based on the square root of phi (~416.5 cents) as a generator
* [[Golden meantone]]
* [[833 Cent Golden Scale (Bohlen)]]
* [http://dkeenan.com/Music/NobleMediant.txt The Noble Mediant: Complex ratios and metastable musical intervals], by [[Margo Schulter]] and [[David Keenan]]
* [http://www.elvenminstrel.com/music/tuning/horagrams/horagram_intro.htm 5- to 9-tone, octave-repeating scales from Wilson's Golden Horagrams of the Scale Tree], by [[David Finnamore]]

Latest revision as of 00:31, 2 December 2024

English Wikipedia has an article on:

The golden ratio or phi (Greek letter [math]\displaystyle{ \varphi }[/math] or [math]\displaystyle{ \phi }[/math]) is an irrational number that appears in many branches of mathematics, defined as the [math]\displaystyle{ \frac{a}{b} }[/math] such that [math]\displaystyle{ \frac{a}{b} = \frac{a+b}{a} }[/math]. It follows that [math]\displaystyle{ \varphi - 1 = \frac1{\varphi} }[/math], and also that [math]\displaystyle{ \varphi = \frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2} }[/math], or approximately 1.6180339887...

Musical applications

The golden ratio can be used as a frequency multiplier or as a pitch fraction; in the former case it is known as acoustic phi and in the latter case it is known as logarithmic phi. These two versions of phi have completely different musical applications which can be read about in detail on their separate pages. Lemba is a notable regular temperament for approximating both versions of phi simultaneously, requiring only two of its generators for logarithmic phi, and only one each of its generator and period for acoustic phi.

Compositions based on the golden ratio

External links