Application of Mathematics in Music

The Journal of Department of Applied Sciences & Humanities Vol. XI, (2011), pp. 67 - 69 ITM University http://www.itmindia.
edu
Application of Mathematics in Music

Mathematics is involved in some way in every field of study known to mankind. In fact, it could be argued that mathematics is involved in some way in everything that exists everywhere, or even everything that is imagined to exist in any conceivable reality. Any possible or imagined situation that has any relationship whatsoever to space, time, or thought would also involve mathematics. Music is a field of study that has an obvious relationship to mathematics. Music is, to many people, a nonverbal form of communication, that reaches past the human intellect directly into the soul. However, music is not really created by mankind, but only discovered, manipulated and reorganized by mankind. In reality, music is first and foremost a phenomena of nature, a result of the principles of physics and mathematics. Mathematics is found abundantly in music in general. We shall now give you in brief, the areas in which it is found. Mathematics is applied in the tone system. The frequencies of two notes that have an octave difference bear the ratio 1:2. Thus, if the frequency of Shadja (the tonic note) in the middle octave is equal to n vibrations per second, then frequency of the higher Shadja would be 2n, that of the next higher would be 4n and so on. Thus the frequency relationships of the octaves proceed in geometrical progression as, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and so on. The values of different notes were arrived at by the cycle of fourths and fifths. In the concept of the sXI degrees of speed (Shatkalas), one finds a regular progression. Here, the length of the note gets progressively reduced from unit time in the first degree of speed to , , 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 and so on. In other words, one note is sung to unit time in the first speed, two notes in the second speed, four notes in the third speed and so on. The arithmetic progression 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc., is seen in the frequency relationships of upper partials. The harmonics are heard when a stretched string is sounded.
Dr. Ziya Uddin

Ph.D (Mathematics), CSIR/UGCNET & JRF, GATE
PROFILE
Dr. Ziya Uddin joined ITM University as Assistant Professor in July 2010 in Dept. of Applied Sciences and Humanities. He earned his Ph.D degree with major in Mathematics and minor in Computer Sc. from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. His Topic of Ph. D. thesis is: Computer Oriented Numerical Solutions of some Heat and Mass Transfer Flow Problems. He has published thirteen research papers in various International/ National journals of repute. He has attended several national and international conferences and workshops. He is having about five years of teaching and research experience. His areas of interest include Mathematical Modelling, Fluid Dynamics and Computational Mathematics.
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Dr. Ziya Uddin and Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Singh
Using the concept of the 12 notes, the 72 melakarta or scales have been evolved by means of permutation. Other scales and ragas have also been arrived at by the permutation or omission / addition of the 12 notes. The swara graphs throw light on the contours of a Raga, while the Swarasthana and Srutisthana graphs throw light on the frequencies of the notes used in the Raga. The Sapta talas give rise to the 35 talas because of the five types of Laghus. Each of these 35-talas again has five varieties because of the five different types of gatis. This gives a total of 175-talas. Apart from this, there is also a set of 108 Talas using certain additional angas. The Pallavi, of a Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi is highly mathematical, requiring the musician to sing the same line in different degrees of speed, gati etc. It is also usually mounted with a lot of mathematical structures in the kalpanaswara. The singing of kalpanaswara patterns, in general, requires a reasonable amount of mathematical knowledge. The permutations of the infinite and finite varieties of Swara or Tala is called Prastara. Prastara enables one to determine the nature and structure of a phrase if the number is given and to determine the serial number if the phrase is given. Musical / rhythmic patterns like the Yatis (e.g., Gopuccha, Damaru, Mridanga, Srotovaha etc) have specific geometrical patterns. The Katapayadi formula, an interesting formula that combines language and mathematics, has been used to coin the nomenclature of the 72-Melakartas with their serial numbers. The attempt to structure and communicate new ways of composing and hearing music has led to musical applications of set theory, abstract algebra and number theory. Some composers have incorporated the Golden ratio and Fibonacci numbers into their work.
Connections to set theory

Musical set theory uses some of the concepts from mathematical set theory to organize musical objects and describe their relationships. To analyze the structure of a piece of (typically atonal) music using musical set theory, one usually starts with a set of tones, which could form motives or chords. By applying simple operations such as transposition and inversion, one can discover deep structures in the music. Operations such as transposition and inversion are called isometries because they preserve the intervals between tones in a set.
Connections to abstract algebra

Expanding on the methods of musical set theory, many theorists have used abstract algebra to analyze music. For example, the notes in an equal temperament octave form an abelian group with 12 elements. It is possible to describe just intonation in terms of a free abelian group. Transformational theory is a branch of music theory developed by David Lewin. The theory allows for great generality because it emphasizes transformations between musical objects, rather than the musical objects themselves. Theorists have also proposed musical applications of more sophisticated algebraic concepts. Mathematician Guerino Mazzola has applied topos theory to music, though the result has been controversial.
Application of Mathematics in Music
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The chromatic scale has a free and transitive action of , with the action being defined via transposition of notes. So the chromatic scale can be thought of as a torsor for the group .
Connections to number theory

Modern interpretation of just intonation is fully based on fundamental theorem of arithmetic.
The golden ratio and Fibonacci Sequence

While the applications of mathematics are many, and have kept mathematicians and musicians alike occupied for centuries, covering such mathematical areas as set theory, algebra and prime number theory, one of the most interesting uses of mathematics might be the application of the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence to the aesthetic principles of music. The golden ratio is a scientifically mysterious ratio that is supposedly pleasing to the human sense of aesthetic, while the Fibonacci sequence, likewise, is a seemingly random sequence of numbers (1,1,2,3,5,8 where every number is the sum of the two preceding it) which has been shown to have countless applications toward understanding the patterns of nature itself. James Tenney reconceived his piece For Ann (Rising), which consists of up to twelve computer-generated tones that glissando upwards, as having each tone start so each is the golden ratio (in between an equal tempered minor and major sXIth) below the previous tone, so that the combination tones produced by all consecutive tones are a lower or higher pitch already, or soon to be, produced. Ern Lendvai analyzes Bla Bartks works as being based on two opposing systems: those of the golden ratio and the acoustic scale. In Bartoks Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, the xylophone progression at the beginning of the 3rd movement occurs at the intervals 1:2:3:5:8:5:3:2:1. French composer Erik Satie used the golden ratio in several of his pieces, including Sonneries de la Rose CroXI. His use of the ratio gave his music an otherworldly symmetry. The golden ratio is also apparent in the organization of the sections in the music of Debussys Image, Reflections in Water, in which the sequence of keys is marked out by the intervals 34, 21, 13, and 8 (a descending Fibonacci sequence), and the main climax sits at the-position. This Binary Universe, an experimental album by Brian Transeau (popularly known as the electronic artist BT), includes a track titled 1.618 in homage to the golden ratio.

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The Journal of Department of Applied Sciences & Humanities Vol. XI, (2011), pp. 67 - 69 ITM University http://www.itmindia.

Application of Mathematics in Music

Dr. Ziya Uddin

Dr. Ziya Uddin and Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Singh

Connections to set theory

Connections to abstract algebra

Application of Mathematics in Music

Connections to number theory

The golden ratio and Fibonacci Sequence

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