Mathematical and Musical Harmony

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For most people, mathematics is an unsolvable puzzle characterized by the impression of numbers and calculations taught in school. It is often associated with feelings of rejection and disinterest. To the general population mathematics appears to be to be strictly rational, abstract, cold and soulless. Music, however, is involved with emotion, with feelings, and with life. It exists in all daily routines. Everyone has sung a song, pressed a key on a piano, or blown into a flute, and therefore, in some sense, made music. People can easily interact with it. Music is a way of expression and a part of everyone’s existence.

The incentive for investigating the connections between these two apparent opposites therefore is in the least obvious, and it is unclear in what aspects of both topics such a relationship could be sought after. Furthermore, if one accepts some mathematical aspects in music such as rhythm and pitch, it is far more difficult to imagine any musicality in mathematics. The count-ability and the strong order of mathematics do not seem to coincide with an artistic pattern.

However, there are diverse areas, which indicate this sort of connection. Firstly, research has proved that children playing the piano often show improved reasoning skills like those applied in solving jigsaw puzzles, playing chess or conducting mathematical deductions. Secondly, it has been noticed in a particular investigation that the percentage of undergraduate students having taken a music course was about eleven percent above average amongst mathematics majors. This affinity of mathematicians for music is not only a recent phenomenon, but has been mentioned previously by Bloch in 1925.

This essay examines the relationship between mathemati...

... middle of paper ...

...ld be one way to introduce an additional idea: that beauty is inherent in mathematics.

Work Cited

Assayag, Gerard, Hans G. Feichtinger, and Jose-Francisco Rodrigues. Mathematics and Music: a Diderot Mathematical Forum. Berlin: Springer, 2002.

Garland, Trudi Hammel., and Charity Vaughan. Kahn. Math and Music: Harmonious Connections. Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour Publications, 1995.

Glydon, Natasha. "Music, Math, and Patterns - Math Central." Math Central. Sept. 1995. 24 Mar. 2011 .

Joneston, Nigel. "The Link Between Music and Math | Music Articles." Music Information & Resources | Music Lyrics | Music Lessons. 24 Mar. 2011 .

Leibovich, Mark. "For Geeks, It's Music to Their Ears." Washington Post 15 Dec. 1997.

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