ECU Libraries Catalog

Music by the numbers : from Pythagoras to Schoenberg / Eli Maor.

Author/creator Maor, Eli
Format Book and Print
Publication Info Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2018]
Descriptionxvii, 155 pages : illustrations, maps, music ; 23 cm
Subject(s)
Contents Prologue: A world in crisis -- String theory, 500 BCE -- Sidebar A. It's all about nomenclatures -- Enlightenment -- The great string debate, 1730-1780 -- Sidebar B. The Slinky -- A most precious gift -- Musical temperament -- Sidebar C. Music for the record books: the lowest, the longest, the oldest, and the weirdest -- Musical gadgets: the tuning fork and the metronome -- Rhythm, meter, and metric -- Frames of reference: where am I? -- Sidebar D. Musical hierarchies -- Relativistic music -- Aftermath -- Sidebar E. The Bernoulli -- The last Pythagoreans.
Abstract Music is filled with mathematical elements, the works of Bach are often said to possess a math-like logic, and Igor Stravinsky said "musical form is close to mathematics," while Arnold Schoenberg, Iannis Xenakis, and Karlheinz Stockhausen went further, writing music explicitly based on mathematical principles. Yet the author of this book argues that music has influenced math at least as much as math has influenced music. Starting with Pythagoras, proceeding through the work of Schoenberg, and ending with contemporary string theory, this book tells a fascinating story of composers, scientists, inventors, and eccentrics who played a role in the age-old relationship between music, mathematics, and the sciences, especially physics and astronomy. The book explores key moments in this history, particularly how problems originating in music have inspired mathematicians for centuries. Perhaps the most famous of these problems is the vibrating string, which pitted some of the greatest mathematicians of the eighteenth century against each other in a debate that lasted more than fifty years and that eventually led to the development of post-calculus mathematics. Other highlights in the book include a comparison between meter in music and metric in geometry, complete with examples of rhythmic patterns from Bach to Stravinsky, and an exploration of a suggestive twentieth-century development: the nearly simultaneous emergence of Einstein's theory of relativity and Schoenberg's twelve-tone system. Weaving these compelling historical episodes with the author's personal reflections as a mathematician and lover of classical music, the book will delight anyone who loves mathematics and music.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 2017031417
ISBN9780691176901 hardcover ; alkaline paper
ISBN0691176906 hardcover ; alkaline paper

Available Items

Library Location Call Number Status Item Actions
Music Music Stacks ML3805 .M3 2018 ✔ Available Place Hold