MUSIC AND MATHEMATICS: FROM PYTHAGORAS TO FRACTALS; ED. BY JOHN FAUVEL

From ancient Greek times, music has been seen as a mathematical art. Some of the physical, theoretical, cosmological, physiological, acoustic, compositional, analytical and other implications of the relationship are explored in this book, which is suitable both for musical mathematicians and for musicians interested in mathematics, as well as for the general reader and listener. In a collection of wide-ranging papers, with full use of illustrative material, leading scholars join in demonstrating and analysing the continued vitality and vigour of the traditions arising from the ancient beliefs that music and mathematics are fundamentally sister sciences. This particular relationship is one that has long been of deep fascination to many people, and yet there has been no book addressing these issues with the breadth and multi-focused approach offered here. Cover Half title Imprint Preface Contents Music and mathematics: an overview (Susan Wollenberg) Part I: Music and mathematics through history 1. Tuning and temperament: closing the spiral (Neil Bibby) 2. Musical cosmology: Kepler and his readers (J. V Field) Part II: The mathematics of musical sound 3. The science of musical sound (Charles Taylor) 4. Faggot's fretful fiasco (Ian Stewart) 5. Helmholtz: combinational tones and consonance (David Fowler) Part III: Mathematical structure in music 6. The geometry of music (Wilfrid Hodges) 7. Ringing the changes: bells and mathematics (Dermot Roaf & Arthur White) 8. Composing with numbers: sets, rows and magic squares (Jonathan Cross) Part IV: The composer speaks 9. Microtones and projective planes (Carlton Gamer & Robin Wilson) 10. Composing with fractals (Robert Sherlaw Johnson) Notes on contributors Notes, references, and further reading Acknowledgements Index "From Ancient Greek times, music has been seen as a mathematical art, and the relationship between mathematics and music has fascinated generations. This collection of wide ranging, comprehensive and fully-illustrated papers, authored by leading scholars, presents the link between these two subjects in a lucid manner that is suitable for students of both subjects, as well as the general reader with an interest in music. Physical, theoretical, physiological, acoustic, compositional, and analytical relationships between mathematics and music are unfolded and explored with focus on tuning and temperament, the mathematics of sound, bell-ringing and modern compositional techniques."--Book cover

From Ancient Greek times, music has been seen as a mathematical art, and the relationship between mathematics and music has fascinated generations. This collection of wide ranging, comprehensive and fully-illustrated papers, authorized by leading scholars, presents the link between these two subjects in a lucid manner that is suitable for students of both subjects, as well as the general reader with an interest in music. Physical, theoretical, physiological, acoustic, compositional and analytical relationships between mathematics and music are unfolded and explored with focus on tuning and temperament, the mathematics of sound, bell-ringing and modern compositional techniques.

"From Ancient Greek times, music has been seen as a mathematical art, and the relationship between mathematics and music has fascinated generations. This collection of wide-ranging, comprehensive and fully illustrated papers, authored by leading scholars, presents the link between these two fields in a lucid manner that is suitable for students of both subjects, as well as the general reader with an interest in music. Physical, theoretical, physiological, acoustic, compositional, and analytical relationships between music and mathematics are unfolded and explored with focus on tuning and temperament, the mathematics of sound, and modern compositional techniques."--Jacket Tuning and temperament : closing the spiral / Neil Bibby Musical cosmology : Kepler and his readers / J. V. Field Science of musical sound / Charles Taylor Faggot's fretful fiasco / Ian Stewart Helmholtz : combinational tones and consonance / David Fowler Geometry of music / Wilfrid Hodges Ringing the changes : bells and mathematics / Dermot Roaf and Arthur White Composing with numbers : sets, rows and magic squares / Jonathan Cross Microtones and projective planes / Carlton Gamer and Robin Wilson Composing with fractals / Robert Sherlaw Johnson.