Universal form for quark and lepton mass matrices

We propose a universal form for quark and lepton mass matrices, which applies in a “leading order” approximation whereCP-violating phases are ignored. Down-quark mass ratios are successfully predicted in our scheme using the measured Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing angles as input. Assuming an additional discrete symmetry in the neutrino sector, we obtain the “golden ratio” pattern in the leadingorder Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS)mixingmatrix; in additionwepredict an inverted neutrino mass hierarchywithm1 ≃m2 ≃ 74 meV,m3 ≃ 55 meV, and neutrinoless double beta decaymass parameter m0νββ ≃ 33 meV. When CP-violating phases are included, our scheme suggests a residual Z2 antiunitary symmetry of the neutrinomassmatrix, in which the interchange of μ and τ neutrinos is accompanied by a time reversal transformation, thus predicting that the CP-violating angle in the neutrino sector is close to the maximal value δ 1⁄4 π=2, and that the diagonal phases in the PMNS matrix are α1 ≃ 0, α2 ≃ π.