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Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler The Modern Day The Music of the Spheres Daniel Litt Stanford University November 2, 2013 Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

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Page 1: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Music of the Spheres

Daniel Litt

Stanford University

November 2, 2013

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 2: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler
Page 3: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler
Page 4: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

What Does the Sky Look Like?

∼ 5600 stars visible in a dark sky (in a modern city, more like200 - 500).

Distinguished features:

The sun and the moon,Certain bright lights (planets) move in apparently erraticpatterns, within a narrow strip: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,and SaturnThere are some differences in the night sky depending on one’slocation and the time of year.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 5: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

What Does the Sky Look Like?

∼ 5600 stars visible in a dark sky (in a modern city, more like200 - 500).

Distinguished features:

The sun and the moon,Certain bright lights (planets) move in apparently erraticpatterns, within a narrow strip: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,and SaturnThere are some differences in the night sky depending on one’slocation and the time of year.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 6: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

What Does the Sky Look Like?

∼ 5600 stars visible in a dark sky (in a modern city, more like200 - 500).

Distinguished features:

The sun and the moon,

Certain bright lights (planets) move in apparently erraticpatterns, within a narrow strip: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,and SaturnThere are some differences in the night sky depending on one’slocation and the time of year.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 7: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

What Does the Sky Look Like?

∼ 5600 stars visible in a dark sky (in a modern city, more like200 - 500).

Distinguished features:

The sun and the moon,Certain bright lights (planets) move in apparently erraticpatterns, within a narrow strip: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,and Saturn

There are some differences in the night sky depending on one’slocation and the time of year.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 8: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

What Does the Sky Look Like?

∼ 5600 stars visible in a dark sky (in a modern city, more like200 - 500).

Distinguished features:

The sun and the moon,Certain bright lights (planets) move in apparently erraticpatterns, within a narrow strip: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter,and SaturnThere are some differences in the night sky depending on one’slocation and the time of year.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 9: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

What Does the Sky Look Like?

Retrograde Motion of Mars

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 10: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Pythagoreans

Pythagoreans Celebrate Sunrise, Bronnikov

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 11: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Pythagoreans

The Pythagorean Theorem

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 12: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The First Great Discovery

The Pythagoreans discovered: we can hear rational numbers.

p

q, p and q whole numbers.

Suppose one has two strings made from the same material oflength x and y . Then plucking both sounds “harmonious” only ifxy = p

q is a rational number with p, q small (say, less than 7 or so).

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 13: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The First Great Discovery

The Pythagoreans discovered: we can hear rational numbers.

p

q, p and q whole numbers.

Suppose one has two strings made from the same material oflength x and y . Then plucking both sounds “harmonious” only ifxy = p

q is a rational number with p, q small (say, less than 7 or so).

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 14: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The First Great Discovery

The Pythagoreans discovered: we can hear rational numbers.

p

q, p and q whole numbers.

Suppose one has two strings made from the same material oflength x and y . Then plucking both sounds “harmonious” only ifxy = p

q is a rational number with p, q small (say, less than 7 or so).

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 15: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The First Great Discovery

Harmonics (the harmonic series)

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 16: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The First Great Discovery

An Inharmonious Note

A Fifth

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 17: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Back to Cosmology

The Pythagorean Scale

According to Pythagoras, the planets were arranged according themost harmonious scale. This was the music of the spheres–and theMaster, Pythagoras, could hear it.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 18: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Back to Cosmology

The Pythagorean Scale

According to Pythagoras, the planets were arranged according themost harmonious scale. This was the music of the spheres–and theMaster, Pythagoras, could hear it.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 19: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Tragedy

All was rational and harmonious, until:

√2

“It is told that those who first brought out the irrational fromconcealment into the open priced in shipwreck, to a man. For theunutterable and the formless must needs be concealed. And thosewho uncovered and touched this image of life were instantlydestroyed and shall remain forever exposed to the play of theeternal waves.” –Proclos

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 20: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Tragedy

All was rational and harmonious, until:

√2

“It is told that those who first brought out the irrational fromconcealment into the open priced in shipwreck, to a man. For theunutterable and the formless must needs be concealed. And thosewho uncovered and touched this image of life were instantlydestroyed and shall remain forever exposed to the play of theeternal waves.” –Proclos

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 21: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Tragedy

All was rational and harmonious, until:

√2

“It is told that those who first brought out the irrational fromconcealment into the open priced in shipwreck, to a man. For theunutterable and the formless must needs be concealed. And thosewho uncovered and touched this image of life were instantlydestroyed and shall remain forever exposed to the play of theeternal waves.” –Proclos

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 22: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Other Greek Theories

Other Greek Theories

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 23: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

A Problem

But the Greeks knew: the opposite side of the world wasalways shrouded in darkness.

Possible explanation (Philolaus): a “Central Fire” about whichthe Earth orbited, and a counter-Earth, to block out its light.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 24: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

A Problem

But the Greeks knew: the opposite side of the world wasalways shrouded in darkness.

Possible explanation (Philolaus): a “Central Fire” about whichthe Earth orbited, and a counter-Earth, to block out its light.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 25: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler
Page 26: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Cosmas and the Medievalists

Cosmas’s Theory

Explains why rivers run faster towards the South-East.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 27: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Cosmas and the Medievalists

Cosmas’s Theory

Explains why rivers run faster towards the South-East.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 28: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler
Page 29: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus

Plato

Plato decreed that all heavenly bodies move in perfect circles

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 30: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus

Plato

Plato decreed that all heavenly bodies move in perfect circles

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 31: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Aristotelian Conception

The Crystalline Spheres

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 32: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Some Problems

The Orbits of Mercury, Earth, and Mars

Not to mention: the planets don’t orbit around the Earth!

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 33: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Some Problems

The Orbits of Mercury, Earth, and Mars

Not to mention: the planets don’t orbit around the Earth!

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 34: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Idea: More circles!

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 35: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Idea: More circles!

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 36: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Epicycles

Epicycles

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 37: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Not Bad!

Retrograde Motion of Mars

Epicyclic Motion

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 38: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Not Bad!

Retrograde Motion of Mars

Epicyclic MotionDaniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 39: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Not Bad!

Ptolemy needs 39 epicycles.

But reasonably accurate 1000 years after publication, in 1504!

Unclear that Ptolemy’s goal was to accurately describe—justcompute.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 40: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Not Bad!

Ptolemy needs 39 epicycles.

But reasonably accurate 1000 years after publication, in 1504!

Unclear that Ptolemy’s goal was to accurately describe—justcompute.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 41: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Copernicus

Copernicus

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 42: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Copernican System

48 epicycles, though they were smaller than Ptolemy’s

Copernicus claims Ptolemy had 80 epicycles!

Serious problem—the lack of stellar parallax

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 43: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Copernican System

48 epicycles, though they were smaller than Ptolemy’s

Copernicus claims Ptolemy had 80 epicycles!

Serious problem—the lack of stellar parallax

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 44: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Copernican System

48 epicycles, though they were smaller than Ptolemy’s

Copernicus claims Ptolemy had 80 epicycles!

Serious problem—the lack of stellar parallax

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 45: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Epicycles Get a Bad Rap

An actual orbit:

x(t) = a · cos(ω · t), y(t) = b · sin(ω · t)

Circle if a = b

Fact (Fourier): Any periodic path can be written as a sum ofcircles!

x(t) =∑

ai · cos(ωi · t), y(t) =∑

ai · sin(ωi · t)

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 46: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Epicycles Get a Bad Rap

An actual orbit:

x(t) = a · cos(ω · t), y(t) = b · sin(ω · t)

Circle if a = b

Fact (Fourier): Any periodic path can be written as a sum ofcircles!

x(t) =∑

ai · cos(ωi · t), y(t) =∑

ai · sin(ωi · t)

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 47: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Epicycles Get a Bad Rap

An actual orbit:

x(t) = a · cos(ω · t), y(t) = b · sin(ω · t)

Circle if a = b

Fact (Fourier): Any periodic path can be written as a sum ofcircles!

x(t) =∑

ai · cos(ωi · t), y(t) =∑

ai · sin(ωi · t)

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 48: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Epicycles Get a Bad Rap

Fourier Analysis

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 49: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Kepler

Kepler

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 50: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Kepler’s First Question

Why are there only six planets? (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,Jupiter, Saturn)

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 51: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Answer

Kepler’s First Model of the Universe

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 52: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Platonic Solids

The Platonic Solids

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 53: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Platonic Solids

V − E + F = 2

aF = 2E = bV

where a is the number of edges per face and b is the number ofedges per vertexThus

1

a+

1

b=

1

2+

1

E>

1

2

Only possibilities are

(a, b) = (3, 3), (3, 4), (4, 3), (5, 3), (3, 5).

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 54: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Platonic Solids

V − E + F = 2

aF = 2E = bV

where a is the number of edges per face and b is the number ofedges per vertex

Thus1

a+

1

b=

1

2+

1

E>

1

2

Only possibilities are

(a, b) = (3, 3), (3, 4), (4, 3), (5, 3), (3, 5).

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 55: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Platonic Solids

V − E + F = 2

aF = 2E = bV

where a is the number of edges per face and b is the number ofedges per vertexThus

1

a+

1

b=

1

2+

1

E>

1

2

Only possibilities are

(a, b) = (3, 3), (3, 4), (4, 3), (5, 3), (3, 5).

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 56: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Platonic Solids

V − E + F = 2

aF = 2E = bV

where a is the number of edges per face and b is the number ofedges per vertexThus

1

a+

1

b=

1

2+

1

E>

1

2

Only possibilities are

(a, b) = (3, 3), (3, 4), (4, 3), (5, 3), (3, 5).

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 57: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Enter Tycho Brahe

Tycho Brahe

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 58: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Kepler’s Laws

Essentially by carefully studying the orbit of mars, Keplerpostulated:

The orbits of the planets are ellipses, with the sun at one focalpoint

The line joining a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas inequal time

The square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube ofthe semi-major axis of the orbit.

Essentially extracted by Newton from a long and mystical tome ofKepler’s.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 59: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Kepler’s Laws

Essentially by carefully studying the orbit of mars, Keplerpostulated:

The orbits of the planets are ellipses, with the sun at one focalpoint

The line joining a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas inequal time

The square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube ofthe semi-major axis of the orbit.

Essentially extracted by Newton from a long and mystical tome ofKepler’s.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 60: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Kepler’s Laws

Essentially by carefully studying the orbit of mars, Keplerpostulated:

The orbits of the planets are ellipses, with the sun at one focalpoint

The line joining a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas inequal time

The square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube ofthe semi-major axis of the orbit.

Essentially extracted by Newton from a long and mystical tome ofKepler’s.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 61: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Kepler’s Laws

Essentially by carefully studying the orbit of mars, Keplerpostulated:

The orbits of the planets are ellipses, with the sun at one focalpoint

The line joining a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas inequal time

The square of the orbital period is proportional to the cube ofthe semi-major axis of the orbit.

Essentially extracted by Newton from a long and mystical tome ofKepler’s.

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 62: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Kepler’s Actual Theory

A Baroque Construction

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 63: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

Kepler’s Actual Theory

Music of the Spheres

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 64: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Modern Day

But why should we care about all this stumbling about in the dark?We’ve escaped our mystical obsessions in the modern day, right?

Right?

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 65: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Modern Day

But why should we care about all this stumbling about in the dark?We’ve escaped our mystical obsessions in the modern day, right?

Right?

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres

Page 66: The Music of the Spheres - Columbia Universitymath.columbia.edu/~dlitt/Talks/musicofthespheres.pdf · Introduction The Pythagoreans Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Copernicus Kepler

IntroductionThe Pythagoreans

Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, and CopernicusKepler

The Modern Day

The Modern Day

“The central idea of string theory is quite straightforward. If youexamine any piece of matter ever more finely, at first you’ll findmolecules, atoms, sub-atomic particles. Probe the smallerparticles, you’ll find something else, a tiny vibrating filament ofenergy, a little tiny vibrating string.” –Brian Greene

Daniel Litt The Music of the Spheres