How music has influenced mathematics, physics, and astronomy from
ancient Greece to the twentieth century
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 Eli Maor 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, Music by the Numbers 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.
Music by the Numbers 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 Maor's personal
reflections as a mathematician and lover of classical music, Music by
the Numbers will delight anyone who loves mathematics and music.
