Pythagoras

May 30, 2013 09:00

This morning, we had group presentations during our Engineering course. Karl and I presented on early philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras. The research actually turned out to be really interesting. I learned a lot about Pythagoras' view that mathematics is a part of every aspect of life – including music.

"Things to do with notes are ordered in accordance with number."

In fact, Pythagoras was really interested in music. He discovered the numerical ratio of notes which established what we recognize today as western intervals; he explored the effects of tension, length and width of strings; and he defined the chromatic and enharmonic systems.

Now, when I say Pythagoras discovered all of this stuff, I really mean that Pythagoras was credited with all of it. It's not clear whether or not Pythagoras' followers in fact made these discoveries and then attributed them to their teacher and icon.

Either way, the Pythagoreans were a pretty crazy bunch. For example, they "trained themselves in the exercise of self-control in the following manner. They would have prepared for them everything which is served up at the most brilliant banquets, and would gaze upon it for a considerable time; then, after through mere gazing they had aroused their natural desires with a view to their gratification, they would command the slaves to clear away the tables and would at once depart without having tasted of what had been served."

If you're interested, feel free to check out our presentation. Although it doesn't include a lot of text (I am completely determined to keep text on the slides to a minimum), you should be able to get a general idea of what we talked about.

"The so-called Pythagoreans, who were the first to take up mathematics, not only advanced this subject, but saturated with it, they fancied that the principles of mathematics were the principles of all things." – Aristotle