[PD] Computer Music & Mathematics

Charles Henry czhenry at gmail.com
Tue Aug 1 21:23:12 CEST 2006


> To the point: I'm hoping to find a topic that combines "computer music"
> with mathematics, or maybe more correctly; a mathematical topic on a
> fitting level, that has (some) relations to computer music (in a broad
> sense).

If you're interested in synthesis/DSP, I recommend to study operator
theory and numerical analysis.  All of your transforms come from
analyzing differential/integral operators, their
eigenfunctions/values, and inverses.

Music theory itself is pretty mathematical, but it's practically a
pointless endeavor to try to apply mathematics to "explain" music.
You just wind up finding structures (like the lattices with minor and
major thirds along the axes) with practically no relevance to the real
experience of music.  However, I believe that studying dynamic systems
(non-linear operator theory) has some promise for physiologically
based theories of music.
I've been thinking about doing a math masters as well....and those are
the two topics that I consider most significant.

Chuck




More information about the Pd-list mailing list