This lecture aims at introducing a general audience to a beautiful relationship between mathematics, physics and music. We will explore the evolution of ideas that led to the equal temperament, the 12-note system which prevails in much music worldwide. The main characters in this story are the wave equation in a string and its pure solutions, which are given by waves with integral periods; the relations between them which are rational numbers; and finally, a twist in the plot where equal temperament is actually done with irrational numbers to achieve symmetry.

Lecturer: Uri Onn

Musicians: Wayne Kelly (Piano), Lachlan Coventry (Guitar), John Mackey (Tenor Saxophone), Eric Ajaye (Double Bass).