\phi for the golden ratio?

29 May 2004

      In seventh or eighth grade -- a long time ago -- , I learned the name
"goldener Schnitt" (golden ratio, ratio aurea) for the positive solution
of the equation x^2 = x + 1.  Recently, I read an article, I forgot
where, discussing this number and using \phi as the "accepted symbol"
for it.  The old name was never mentioned.

So far, I have only met three real or complex numbers with universally
accepted one-letter symbols:  \pi, e, i.  Have I missed something?

Oswald Wyler