They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it can often be difficult to describe exactly why we find one person to be more attractive than another.
Symmetrical features can be part of that, which is why people opt for facial symmetry fillers to help remove imperfections and overly asymmetrical features.
Some of this can be explained through some rather unique maths that has been utilised by some of the world’s greatest artists.
The Golden Ratio, which is about 1:1.618, has been known since 300BC, but would only receive its name in 1509, when Renaissance mathematician Luca Pacioli published The Divine Proportions, claiming the ratio represented a simple, ordered beauty.
The importance of the ratio is that it follows the Fibonacci sequence, where each number is the sum of the two previous ones. When this is plotted onto a chart it creates a spiral which is often used as the symbol of the Golden Ratio.
Another symbol used is the Marquardt Mask, a geometric template that shows where facial features would be if a face followed the ratio.
It is very common in nature, such as in the intricate patterns of seashells, but there is some discussion as to why we find the Golden Ratio so attractive in people.
Some have suggested that it is because it fits a simple pattern of beauty our eyes can process it faster, making it more aesthetically pleasing to look at.
The most famous example of this is in the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in history, and although Leonardo Da Vinci never claimed to use it himself, he did provide illustrations to Mr Paciolia’s book.
Whilst true symmetry can take this principle too far, there is a connection between symmetry, our perception of beauty, and one of the oldest equations in the world.
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