Math meets Music: Covering a curvePublic Event

by Wadim Zudilin

Tuesday Jun 2, 2026, 5:30 PM → 7:30 PM Europe/Berlin

MPIM, Vivatsgasse, 7 - Lecture Hall (Max Planck Institute for Mathematics)

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Mathematical facts are often represented through expressions (also known as formulas) that feature numerous numbers.  Some of those numbers show up in the formulas "more often" than other ones — think of 00, 11 or π=3.1415926…π=3.1415926… — and that gives us good reason to distinguish them from the rest by giving them appropriate "unique" names and studying them in greater depth.  Names can be symbolic and short — like ππ or GG — but in most cases such numbers are named after scientists: the Euler–Mascheroni constant, the Planck constant, etc.  The special number 21/12=1.059463…21/12=1.059463… appears as the frequency ratio of a semitone (the interval between any two adjacent notes) and, at the same time, indicates that the 100% annual interest on a bank account means about 5.9% interest monthly.  In my lecture, I will discuss the conceptual and historical development of the practice of assigning names to numbers, as well as related issues concerning the calculation of numbers and a deeper "understanding" of them.

With musical contributions by the following artists:

• Alexandra Badea (piano)
• Eva-Maria Hekkelman (cello)
• Sun Woo Park (piano)
• David Prinz (piano)
• Liza Schonlau (vocals)