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MATHEMATICS EXTENDED ESSAY Mathematics in Music

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MATHEMATICS EXTENDED ESSAY Mathematics in Music TED ANKARA COLLEGE FOUNDATION PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMME MATHEMATICS EXTENDED ESSAY Mathematics In Music Candidate: Su Güvenir Supervisor: Mehmet Emin ÖZER Candidate Number: 001129‐047 Word Count: 3686 words Research Question: How mathematics and music are related to each other in the way of traditional and patternist perspective? Su Güvenir, 001129 ‐ 047 Abstract Links between music and mathematics is always been an important research topic ever. Serious attempts have been made to identify these links. Researches showed that relationships are much more stronger than it has been anticipated. This paper identifies these relationships between music and various fields of mathematics. In addition to these traditional mathematical investigations to the field of music, a new approach is presented: Patternist perspective. This new perspective yields new important insights into music theory. These insights are explained in a detailed way unraveling some interesting patterns in the chords and scales. The patterns in the underlying the chords are explained with the help of an abstract device named chord wheel which clearly helps to visualize the most essential relationships in the chord theory. After that, connections of music with some fields in mathematics, such as fibonacci numbers and set theory, are presented. Finally concluding that music is an abstraction of mathematics. Word Count: 154 words. 2 Su Güvenir, 001129 ‐ 047 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2 CONTENTS PAGE……………………………………………………………………………………………...3 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………....5 MATHEMATICS IN MUSIC…………………………………………………………………………….....6 1.SOUND BASICS…………………………………………………………………………………..……..6 1.1 Physics of Sound………………………………………………………………………………..6 1.2 Properties of Waves…………………………………………………………………….......6 (İ) Speed of Wave………………………………………………………………………......6 (İİ)Frequency……………………………………………………………………………………7 (İİİ) Wavelength……………………………………………………………………………….7 (İV) Period……………………………………………………………………………………....8 (V) Amplitude………………………………………………………………………………….8 1.3 Pitch………………………………………………………………………………………………...8 1.4 Pitch Frequencies……………………………………………………………………………..9 1.5 Timbre and Fundamental Frequency……………………………………………....10 2.PATTERNS IN MUSIC THEORY…………………………………………………………………..11 2.1.Chords…………………………………………………………………………………………..11 ( İ) What Is Chord……………………………………………………………………………11 (İİ) Types of Chords…………………………………………………………………………12 a)Major Chord…………………………………………………………………………...13 b)Minor Chord……………………………………………………………………….....13 c)Dominant Chord……………………………………………………………………..14 d)Diminished Chord…………………………………………………………………..15 e)Other Chord Form…………………………………………………………………..15 3 Su Güvenir, 001129 ‐ 047 (iii)Harmonized Scales……………………………………………………………….….15 a)Major Scale………………………………………………………………………….16 b)Minor Scale…………………………………………………………………..………16 (iv)Chord Relationships…………………………………………………………………17 2.2.Scales………………………………………………………………………………………….19 (i) Chromatic Scale……………………………………………………………………19 (ii) Modal System…………………………………………………………………………..19 (iii) Major Scale……………………………………………………………………………..20 (iv) Minor Scale……………………………………………………………………………..20 3.CONNECTIONS WITH VARIOUS FIELDS OF MATHEMATICS …………………….20 3.1.Connections With Logarithms………………………………………………………20 (i) Sound Intensity………………………………………………………………………….20 (ii) Desibel……………………………………………………………………………………..20 (iii) Frequency ……………………………………………………………………………….21 3.2.Connections With Trigonometry…………………………………………………..21 3.3.Connections With Set Theory……………………………………………………….24 3.4.Connections With Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers………………25 (İ) What Is Golden Ratio?...............................................................25 (İİ) Fibonacci Numbers…………………………………………………………………….26 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………………29 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………………….30 APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………………………………..32 4 Su Güvenir, 001129 ‐ 047 Introduction Physics is the music of the existence whereas mathematics is its notes. This is the traditional perception of the existence but there are more than it meets the eye: Patterns. Indeed, everything in life are perceived by patterns so as mathematics. For example, one can perceive the sequence starting with: 1,2,3... as consecutive numbers (…4,5,6…) whereas another can perceive it as Fibonacci‐like sequence (…5,8,13…). However while connections between music and fields of mathematics like trigonometry, logarithm, geometry (The geometry of musical chords – Dmitri Tymoczko, Princeton University) are deeply analysed over the years and patterns can be thought the fundamental pieces of everything, music has not been analysed in details through patterns. Based on this research of the literature, not only traditional connections between pure mathematics and music but patterns underlying the music are presented in a detailed way concluding with that music is just an abstraction of pure mathematics. It is also been known that music is about emotions. It is not quite right to think emotions independent from mathematics though. They are indeed mathematics. In the light of the recent developments in computer science, it is now clear that they; love, anger, hatred, disgust etc... are all mathematical models in human mind. Thus, emotions and mathematics are not opposite concepts. On the other hand, it is also equally wrong to try to perform music with pure mathematics. Emotions which are an abstraction of mathematics and even though we did not aware their model in our mind or how they are operating while feelings are aroused, one needs to know intuitively to use and combine them “correctly” with pure mathematics i.e. theory of chords and scales, for performing “good” music. In conclusion, emotions are mathematical models, one is doing mathematics while performing music and one does not indeed aware of this mathematical process being taken place in between our networks of neurons. Based on the observations and facts stated above, it can be safe to state that music is nothing but an abstraction of mathematics in every perspective. The research question of this extended essay is; How mathematics and music are related to each other in the way of traditional and patternist perspective? This paper examines mathematics behind the music starting from the fundamentals of sound continuing with the chord theory which is investigated with the patternist perspective. Finally, it investigates the core connection with some fields of pure mathematics and while some applications of certain fields are surveyed in a detailed manner, a complete overview of the complex patterns in music and connections with mathematics is not intended. 5 Su Güvenir, 001129 ‐ 047 MATHEMATICS IN MUSIC SOUND BASICS 1.1.Physics of Sound: Sound is the vibrations which can travel only in the existence of a medium. Vibrations take place between the molecules of the substance, and the vibrations move through the medium in the waves of sound. The sound can move in a medium more easily depending on two properties; the nature of the sound and the nature of the medium. For instance; some frequencies can move more easily through certain mediums than the other frequencies, and some frequencies can travel forth. When the vibrations travel through the medium, particles(the molecules of the medium) hit each other and they come back to their previous positions. Since therefore some parts of the medium become denser and they are called condensations. Less dense parts are called rarefactions. 1.2.Properties of Waves (İ)Speed of Wave The speed sound waves is strictly dependent on the medium. In air with 21o C the speed is approximately 344 m/s. Sound waves travel much more distances in solid or liquid than in air. For instance, the diffusion of sound waves is 1.4 km/s in water, 5000 km/s in steel. Here is the formual for the calcuation of the speed: c = 20.05 x √( 273 + T ) c : speed of sound, m/sn T : temperature, o C Example: Speed of sound in 21o C: c = 20.05 x √( 273 + 21 ) c = 343.86 m/s Speed of sound in 0o C c = 20.05 x √( 273 + 0) c = 331.23 m/sn 6 Su Güvenir, 001129 ‐ 047 Speed of sound in ‐273o C namely 0o K absolute zero c = 20.05 x √( 273 ‐ 273 ) c = 0 m/sn * Giving us the insight that in a medium with no molecules moving, the sound can not diffuse. (İİ)Frequency Frequency is the number of vibrations of a wave in a second.(Reference 8) Namely it is 1 / sn which Hertz abbreviated as Hz. When the number of vibrations increase, i.e. the frequency increases, the sound gets sharper, when the number of vibrations decrease the sound gets lower. Human ear can hear between 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz( 20 kHz ); although very few people can hear very high frequencies such as 20 kHz. Roughly, the juvenile human cannot hear above 17 kHz whereas elder ones cannot hear above 15 kHz. (İİİ)Wavelength It is the distance over which the wave’s shape repeats. (Reference 8) Mathematically, it can be found simply by dividing the speed of the wave to the frequency of the wave. λ = c / f λ : Wavelength, m c : speed, m/sn f : frequency, Hz Example: Given the temperature as 21o C hence obtaining the speed as 344 m/sn, the wavelength of a wave with 2 kHz is 17 cm. λ = c / f λ = (344 m/sn) / (2000 Hz) = 0.17 m = 17 cm 7 Su Güvenir, 001129 ‐ 047 (İV)Period Period is the duration between the start one cycle to another cycle of the wave. (Reference 8)Mathematically it can be found by taking the reciprocal of the frequency. T = 1 / f T : period, sn f : frequency, Hz Example: A 50 Hz wave completes it’s one period in 1 / (50 Hz) namely
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