Esoterica, Part 1

I'm finishing up a book by Mario Livio entitled "The Golden Ratio" which traces the history of a little-known number represented by the Greek symbol "phi," not to be confused with the more popular "pi" (the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter).

Definition of "phi":

Take a line, AC:

A__________________________C

Separate the line into 2 segments such that one segment is larger than the other:

A_________________B________C

where AB > BC

Phi is the ratio in which:

AC/AB = AB/BC

While this seems pretty simple, the resulting ratio is an irrational number (like pi), and cannot be reduced to an integer. Seems pretty strange when you learn that polygons that have perfect symmetry bear this irrational relationship in their geometry. Phi, also known as "golden ratio" or the "golden section," is surprisingly prevalent in many natural phenomena such as the pattern of petals in a rose or the spiral within a chambered nautilus.

While I'm not usually a fan of non-fiction (snoozefest!), I've been fascinated by the depth in which the author researched his material, reaching back to the beginnings of civilization and how humans have used and thought of numbers throughout the passage of time.

Obscure, but edifying, I find. Bla dee bla.