Mathematics and Music

• Dr.^* Maria Mannone, University of Minnesota:
  • We look forward to Maria's talk later on today, at 3:05 pm: Art Helps Math, Math Helps Art.
  • I discovered last night that Maria is also a gifted artist.

• Duk Lee, Debbie Burgess, and friends from Asbury College

• Name Tags!

• Suzanne Ritchie -- we know who really organizes these things....
• Steve Wilkinson -- for the inspiration and ideas
• Roger Zarnowski -- for being supportive (saying "yes", when "no" might do...)
• The late, great Jim "Duke" Sehnert -- for the dough!
• My late, great father, Cliff Long -- for a lot....

• Parking -- get a voucher from me
• Lunch -- coming soon! Sandwiches, drinks, cookies
• Maria's talk at 3:05, BC111
• Dinner -- join us (Guru India Restaurant, 2303 Buttermilk Crossing, Crescent Springs, KY -- We'll plan to eat around 6:15).

Preamble: "Art helps Math, Math helps Art" -- which side are you on?

• Something to think about:

  In discussions last night, I asserted that whichever is being helped should be good (and new and improved), following the "help".

• So for the moment I consider myself primarily an "Art helps Math" person -- I'm not a performer, nor a composer. So art -- music, in particular -- should help improve my math.
• Operating assumption: the more senses one engages, the better one's students will "perform".

My story: the story of art (music) helping math, in Five Easy Pieces.

1. Tom Lehrer: "New Math"
   

2. Cliff Long (my dad, Professor of Mathematics, BGSU):
   

   Here he is with his singing group, "The Logarythms", doing a few numbers at the 1991 Ohio MAA meetings. (Minute 8:40 features permutations).

3. The Sound of a Function:
   

4. The Music of Tree Traversal:
   

5. Vi Hart: Mobius Music
   • Background: I come to Mobius bands honestly: here's one that my dad carved:
     

   • But what do we do with them? What is their practical value? (My students want to know!)
     • They're fun to cut into myriad pieces, of course.
     • Dad had his fifteen minutes of fame when his work was discovered by Ivars Peterson one day....
     • And there's that Firestone Patent
     • Interesting decorative art?

   • But Vi Hart figured out something really cool to do with mobius bands: here's her Theme from "Harry Potter"

1. Where do you stand on "Art Helps Math, Math Helps Art"?
2. What's your story?

• David Brubeck, Take Five
• Five Easy Pieces... (Frederic Chopin: Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49)
• No one can beat Vi Hart! (Folding Space Time, with her Mobius Music Box)
• Well, maybe her dad can: George Hart