The Math Behind the Music
with CD-ROM

Mathematics has been used for centuries to describe, analyze, and create music. In this book, Leon Harkleroad explores the math related aspects of music from its acoustical bases to compositional techniques to music criticism, touching on • overtones, scales, and tuning systems • the musical dice game attributed to Mozart and Haydn • the several-hundred-year-old style of bell-playing known as ringing the changes • the twelve-tone school of composition that strongly influenced music throughout the twentieth century and many other topics involving mathematical ideas from probability theory to Fourier series to group theory. He also relates some cautionary tales of misguided attempts to mix music and mathematics. Both the mathematical and the musical concepts are described in an elementary way, making the book accessible to general readers as well as to mathematicians and musicians of all levels. The book is accompanied by an audio CD of musical examples.

Reviews & endorsements

'Harkleroad's clear writing and generally well-chosen analogies simplify without trivializing the ideas he presents … I recommend this book especially to readers who have an interest in music and mathematics but perhaps not a lot of preparation, such as musicians, students in secondary education, or the interested lay public. Though equations actually rear their heads, they are tamed by Harkleroad's patient and careful explanations.' SIAM

Customer reviews

Product details

• Date Published: September 2006
• format: Mixed media product
• isbn: 9780521009355
• length: 158 pages

• dimensions: 230 x 154 x 14 mm
• weight: 0.66kg
• availability: In stock