Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder? This is a question Canadian medical student Dominic Thibault asked himself when embarking on a journey to define human beauty in a completely new way. He conducted in-depth research spanning four years to determine the ideal facial proportions of Caucasians from a strictly mathematical standpoint.
His findings are published in “Mathematically Ideal Horizontal Proportions of the Face — Establishing the New Universal Standard Based on Golden Ratio,” and challenge current beauty standards by proposing a new, completely objective perspective on how to determine optimal facial aesthetics.
Deciphering Human Beauty
Setting out to use a strictly mathematical way to define the ideal proportions of a Caucasian face, Thibault used the golden ratio, also known as the Fibonacci ratio, or the divine proportion by Luca Pacioli.
In beauty, this mathematical method refers to the length and width of the face and states that the closer the result of dividing the length by the width of the face is to the golden ratio of roughly 1.6, the more beautiful a person’s face.
Thibault’s study included 11 validated and known golden ratios in the horizontal dimensions of the face taken from previous studies, and the vertical fifth rule from the neoclassical canons. The neoclassical canons were developed in the 17th and 18th centuries to determine the aesthetic proportions of the face.
After superimposing the proportions, he created systems of linear equations and matrices and calculated a number of parameters to find the perfect facial proportions.
In his approach, Thibault was able to estimate the ideal proportions of facial parameters in addition to revealing the omnipresence of Fibonacci key ratios, both known and unknown, as well as the ubiquity of mathematical similarities and symmetry in the human face.
While he points out that the definition of facial aesthetics should further be explored, he hopes to challenge current beauty standards with his research findings.
About Dominic Thibault
24-year-old Dominic Thibault is a medical student at Laval University in Quebec, Canada. He has conducted cutting-edge research on facial aesthetics for several years and plans to become a plastic surgeon and open private cosmetic surgery clinics in Quebec, New York, and Los Angeles.
Thibault has traveled the world in search of the most advanced technology in the beauty industry and is determined to continue the work of some of the world’s most renowned mathematicians and visionaries like Leonardo da Vinci by trying to unravel the mystery surrounding human beauty.
To learn more about Dominic Thibault and his research, please contact dominic.thibault.3@ulaval.ca.
