文档介绍：Musimathics MUSIC / MATHEMATICS
the mathematical foundations of music volume 1
Gareth Loy
“Mathematics can be as effortless as humming a tune, if you know the tune,” writes Gareth Loy. In
Musimathics, Loy teaches us the tune, providing a friendly and spirited tour of the mathematics of
music—monsense, self-contained introduction for the nonspecialist reader. It is designed for
musicians who find their art increasingly mediated by technology, and for anyone who is interested in Gareth Loy
the intersection of art and science.
In this volume, Loy presents the materials of music (notes, intervals, and scales); the physical prop-
erties of music (frequency, amplitude, duration, and timbre); the perception of music and sound (how
we hear); and position. Musimathics is carefully structured so that new topics depend the mathematical
strictly on topics already presented, carrying the reader progressively from basic subjects to more Musimathics
advanced ones. Cross-references point to related topics and an extensive glossary monly foundations
used terms. The book explains the mathematics and physics of music for the reader whose mathe- of music
matics may not have gone beyond the early undergraduate level. Calling himself “poser seduced
into mathematics,” Loy provides answers to foundational questions about the mathematics of music
accessibly yet rigorously. The topics are all subjects that posers, musicians, and volume 1
musical engineers have found to be important. The examples given are all practical problems in music
and audio. The level of scholarship and the pedagogical approach also make Musimathics ideal for
classroom use. Additional material can be found at .
Gareth Loy is a musician and award-poser. He has published widely and, during a long
and essful career at the cutting edge of puting, has worked as a researcher, 05/11/2006 #854144
lecturer, programmer, software architect, and digital systems engineer. He is President of Gareth, Inc.,
a