The maths of bellringing
John Harrison
- Region:
- South East
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Subject enthusiast, experienced speaker
- Fee:
- Unknown: Depends on the group
- Category:
- Science
- Updated:
- 14th October 2022
- Tagged:
- Bellringing | Mathematics
All forms of music has some mathematical structure (scales, chords, rhythm). The music of English-style change-ringing has no chords and no variation of rhythm, but it is underpinned by elegant and fascinating mathematics. The continually changing sequences use what mathematicians call permutative group theory (also found in cryptography and the solutions to Rubiks Cube).
Mathematicians developed group theory in the 19th century, but ringers were applying its principles 200 years earlier. I explains the principles behind change ringing, which come from the physical constraints of swinging bells, the desire for patterns that can be executed from memory, and from the concept of truth, which is unique to change ringing.
I also explain the 3-D models that I built in 1968 to represent change ringing sequences.
See: jaharrison.me.uk/Talks/#MathsRing
About John Harrison
My career was half as a Chartered Engineer and half as a chartered Ergonomics & Human Factors consultant. My talks draw partly on that but more on many other interests including: photography, fell walking, bell ringing, railways, bricks, human perception, maths ,... I have given around 250 talks to 100+ different groups. I'm based in Wokingham, Berkshire so limited to the surrounding area for in-person events (but online can be anywhere). Details of my talks are on my website at: jaharrison.me.uk/Talks
Other Talks on SpeakerNet by John Harrison
- Living Heritage
- English-style bells and bellringing
- The Settle to Carlisle railway
- Bricks and Brickwork
- Iceland - land of ice and fire
- The Pennine Way
- I'll Take the High Road
- More than meets the eye
- The Human Factor
- Footpaths - an endangered species
- An evolving garden
- The music of bellringing
- The Technology of Bellringing
- The maths of sea waves
- The evolution of electronic displays
- On Growth and Form
- Wheels within wheels
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