The Golden Ratio: Two Words that Unite Pythagoras and Leonardo Pisano, Known as Fibonacci (2 parts)

The Golden Ratio: Two Words that Unite Pythagoras and Leonardo Pisano, Known as Fibonacci (2 parts)

“Geometry possesses two great treasures: one is the Pythagorean Theorem; the other is the division of a line according to the extreme and mean ratio. We can compare the first to a certain quantity of gold and define the second as a precious gem.” – Kepler (1571–1630)

In the first presentation, I will address the importance of Pythagoras in the esoteric world. I will discuss the mystery and wonder of the golden ratio, which Einstein described as the most extraordinary experience life offers us. I will explore the concept of numbers as a universal principle and how numbers, according to the Pythagoreans, are the key to understanding and achieving universal harmony, as well as their application in art. I will analyze the golden ratio, represented by the number 1.618…, which originates from the geometric proportion supposedly discovered by the Pythagorean Hippasus of Metapontum (ca. 530 BC – ca. 450 BC) and later defined by Euclid (4th–3rd century BC). This concept was revitalized in the Liber Abaci by Leonardo Pisano, known as Fibonacci (ca. 1175 – ca. 1235), and referred to as the divine proportion in a treatise by the cleric and mathematician Luca Pacioli (ca. 1445–1517). By the 19th century, it had come to be known as the golden ratio.

In the second presentation, I will discuss the relationship between Pythagoras and Leonardo Pisano, known as Fibonacci (ca. 1175–ca. 1235), as well as the importance of his sequence in art.
I will delve into the irrational number Phi, which also appears in the famous sequence. Phi cannot be expressed as a fraction and has an infinite number of decimal digits without repetitive patterns. This remarkable number recurs with incredible frequency in nature and the cosmos, in architecture, sculpture, and music, and stands as a symbol of the universe’s harmony, embodying beauty derived from proportional harmony. Using slides, I will demonstrate the application of numbers, the Pythagorean Theorem, and the Fibonacci Sequence in art.