  The golden mean, Phi, has been applied in diverse situations in art,
architecture and music, and although some have claimed that it represents a
basic aesthetic proportion, others have argued that it is only one of a large
number of such ratios. We review its early history, especially its relationship
to the Mount Meru of Pingala. We examine the successive divisions of 3, 7, and
22 in Indian music and suggest derivation from variants of Mount Meru. We also
speculate on the neurophysiological basis behind the sense that the golden mean
is a pleasant proportion.
