What the golden ratio sounds like

Jacob Aron, technology reporter

You've probably heard of Pi day held on 14 March, and might even know its rival Tau day on 28 June. But these circular numbers aren't the only mathematical constants worth celebrating. Just in time for today's date, known as Phi day, musician Michael Blake has composed a soundtrack in recognition of the golden ratio, represented by the Greek letter phi (see video above).

Like pi and tau, the golden ratio is an irrational number and so its decimal representation goes on forever - the first few digits are 1.618. To create a musical interpretation, Blake mapped the digits in the constant to musical notes. He's previously done the same for pi and tau and even had to fight off a lawsuit that bizarrely attempted to copyright pi.

So what's phi's claim to fame? Many artists and architects believe that lines and shapes divided according to the golden ratio are the most aesthetically pleasing. The number is also related to the Fibonacci sequence: the difference between two consecutive Fibonacci numbers grows closer to the golden ratio as the sequence continues to infinity. These numbers often crop up in nature, such as in the spirals of a sunflower head.

Are there any other numbers you'd like to hear? Let us know in the comments section below.

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