Rhythmic canons

 

Cliquez ici pour une franche version.

 

This page keeps records of my research about rhythmic canons, and now other mathemusical subjects.

As a general introduction, you might have a look at this vulgarisation.nb which is a pregraduate conference on canons, supposing no prior knowledge. Click here for html version.

As many documents on this page, this was made as a Mathematica™ notebook; if you do not own a copy of this wonderful though not inexpensive piece of software, it is still very easy to visualise notebooks with the (free) Mathreader™ downloadable on this link.

For dedicated readers, a more thorough paper (about 30 pages !) given in three parts (pdf):

Part 1 (basic facts, polynomial expression),   Part 2 (Galois theory on finite fields and rhythmic canons),   Part 3 (Vuza canons and Fuglede's conjecture)

Here is a selection of available files ; feel free however to browse and roam the site http://canonsrythmiques.free.fr at your leisure.

 

 

Selected files
DoubleHexachordalThmThe hexachordal theorem is twice true for general topologic compact groups… Since there are two kinds of intervals (left and right), there are two versions of the theorem, not one ! But only one way to compare the interval contents of a subset and its complement.
Generators of a scaleThe major scale is generated either by ascending fifths or by descending fourths. But some scales may have more than two generators. I explain among other things while the number of generators can never be 14... Other results include infinite generated scales, e.g. {n x mod 1 }.
Finite groupes of rational spectral units. These esoteric beings, spectral units, are bridges between homometric sets (like the famous (0 1 4 6) and (0 1 3 7) pc-sets). A little part of the mystery is unveiled as the finite groups of rational spectral units are hereby described and classified.
DFT vs JSB On Music Theory Online, june 2009. How Discrete Fourier Transform enables to compare transpositional qualities of temperaments among major scales, thus perhaps settling the dispute over which was the "good temperament" favored by JS Bach.
Fourier againA round up of applications of the DFT in musical analysis. Given for the SMT metting, Nashville 2008.
More Vuza canonsFollowing recent ideas by Matolcsi, all Vuza canons for n=120 and n=144 have been found. Given in Pisa in 2008, published since in JMM's special issue on Tiling Problems.
Berlin 2007 A talk on Discrete Fourier Transform and how it encapsulates most of the musically relevant information about subsets of Z/cZ; developing an idea of Ian Quinn, pursuing David Lewin's work.
Fourier Oracles for Computer-Aided Improvisation  About Fourier transform and real-time grooving of scales or rhythms. ICMC 2006, New Orleans. A real-time implementation was shown by Thomas Noll at the 2009 SMCM congress in Yale.
vulgarisation.nb Vulgarisation talk about rhythmic canons. Close to presentationCanons.nb
Autosimilar melodies A fascinating notion discovered by Tom Johnson:  autosimilar melodies, as shown during the colloque Mélodie organized by the SFAM (october 2006). In french.
Autosimilar melodies Same thing in more detail (MaMuX, october 2006).
typeIIIMEsets Solution of a conjecture by Norman Carey about type III ME sets (some kind of generated scales). With a pretty movie alongside the notebook.
Chicago A conference for the 'Fall session 2004' of AMS, in Evanston (Illinois) with previously unknown correlations between Vuza canons and Fuglede's conjecture. No paper, but the slideShow (Keynote format, zipped, for MacOS only) is fine. There is a Powerpoint version too.
Cyclotomic canons Talk for ICMC,  Barcelona 2005: applications of  cyclotomic polynomials for musicians, in software OpenMusic.
simpleVuzaAlgo.nb Implementation of a recent and simple algorithm by Frank Jszederewsky, building acyclic canons (aka RCMC, or Vuza canons). Included in canonCrawler.
Wild.nb Another (glutton) algorithm, very simple, yet effective, from canadian Jonathan Wild, for tiling with a 3 note motif and its retrograde version.
canonsJuly05.pdf Conference for musicians: DIY rhythmic canons. Little or no maths.
canonsForGeeks.pdf The other side of the coin: all out on mathematical properties (Galoisian theory of  finite fields,  spectral conjecture).
GrazSlideShow.nb A large file (1608 ko) of a talk (slideShow) in Graz colloquium, may 2004. MathReader required.
Graz.pdf Paper from the same conference in Graz. Mostly mathematic stuff.
IrcamDiapo.nb (in french) Slideshow of a recent conference (january 2004) in Ircam, about computing new canons and especially Vuza canons not obtainable by Vuza's algorithm. MathReader required.
nouveaux Vuza canons (in french) An abstract of above item, but in html (about new Vuza canons).
someNewCanons.nb Same in english. MathReader.
someNewCanons.pdf idem, in .pdf
midiFiles Midi files for diverse canons.
frenchRésumé A paper for la Gazette des Mathématiciens, a good specialized revue. Summarizing all the connections I have found between canons and mathematics of tiling the line.
Musica.m Mathematica package for exporting Midi files. Required for some of my routines, for instance canonToMidi.
Musica.nb A file explaining the above package Musica.m.
presentationCanons.nb An elementary (I hope ;) ) slideShow about rhythmic canons. MathReader.
prezZürich.bin Perhaps an unusual file format for this slideShow (AppleWorks…) of a conference in Zürich. Right-click (or control-click sous MacOS) for download. I promise I'll translate to another format should anyone ask nicely ;-)
zurichepos.pdf Paper after MaMuTh colloquium in Zürich (november 2003). Published by Epos in a valuable reference book.
Tiling problems in Music Composition Presented in ICMC 2002, Göteborg.
vuzaAlgoproduced.nb All acyclic canons produced by Vuza's algorithm with period less than 216.
canonCrawler.nb This precious notebook includes most of the routines I have developed for computing with and about rhythmic canons.
JohnsonConjecture.htm Proof of Johnson's conjecture about tilings (canons) with augmentation. Where Galois theory over finite fields unexpectedly arises about rhythmic canons.
exposéIrcam (in french) Web page retracing my first steps in the wonderful world of rhythmic canons. Better stuff since but any browser will read this.
canonToMidi.nb. Procedures for turning some canons into Midi files. Not necessary in Mathematica 6.0
ircam012003.nb (in french) A conference (Ircam 2003) with some simple ideas about rhythmic canons.
ircam2003 Same thing, as a .html file.


Last hauled up on april, 30th, 2008.