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Send comments or suggestions to: Web editor The Yale Alumni Magazine is owned and operated by Yale Alumni Publications, Inc., a nonprofit corporation independent of Yale University. The content of the magazine is the responsibility of the editors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Yale or its officers. |
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The deep connection between music and mathematics was recognized at least as early as the time of Pythagoras. Now, Ian Quinn, an assistant professor in Yale's music department and its cognitive science program, and his colleagues have devised a new mathematical means of understanding music. This "geometrical music theory" can translate the language of music theory into that of contemporary geometry and create visual representations of music's underlying mathematical structure. In the April 18 issue of Science, they describe five ways ("symmetries") of categorizing groups of notes that are similar but not identical: the same note in different octaves, or the same group of notes in a different order. Then they show how these symmetries can be combined to map musical works in coordinate space where, for instance, two-note chords take the shape of a Mobius strip, three-note chord types take the shape of a three-dimensional cone, and four-note chord types somewhat resemble a pyramid. "We can put any music into the model," Quinn says, "and visualize the structure behind similarities and differences among musical styles -- why Chopin, for instance, sounds different from Mozart." Or Lennon from McCartney. The translation of music theoretical terms into
precise geometrical language provides a framework for investigating
contemporary music-theoretical topics, Quinn says. It can also be useful in
analysis, composition, pedagogy, and even the design of new kinds of
instruments. Adds Quinn, "My students have used the models to write in the
styles of various composers. Somewhat to my surprise these complex topics are
fairly easily taught." |
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