The golden ratio was first described by the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid around 300 BCE in his work "Elements." He referred to it as the division of a line "in extreme and mean ratio," which corresponds to what is now known as the golden ratio.
Additional historical context includes:
- The Greek sculptor and mathematician Phidias is credited with pioneering the study and use of the golden ratio in art and architecture, such as in sculptures for the Parthenon.
- Plato considered the golden ratio a key mathematical relationship in the cosmos.
- During the Renaissance, Luca Pacioli published "De divina proportione" (1509), which celebrated the golden ratio's harmony, illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci.
- The term "golden section" was introduced in the 19th century by Martin Ohm.
- The symbol phi (ϕ) to denote the golden ratio was popularized in the 20th century by American mathematician Mark Barr.
Thus, while Euclid formally described the ratio mathematically, the concept and use of the golden ratio extends back to artists and mathematicians like Phidias and Plato before Euclid's formal mathematical treatment. The golden ratio's name and symbol developed later historically.
