Math and Music

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I have given several talks discussing connections between the Riemann zeta function and music.

The Music of Zeta

An undergraduate-friendly talk that introduces the Riemann zeta function, uses the zeta function to study musical scales, plays the zeta function in order to "hear" analytic continuation, and uses the zeta function to play a modified prime-counting function.

• Mathematica notebook (Google Drive link. Can be opened with Wolfram Player)
• Recording of talk (Google Drive link. Zoom lecture for the Illinois State University Undergraduate Mathematics Colloquium, Nov 2025)

I gave a version of this talk at:

• Leiden University Mathematics Institue Bachelorseminarium AGM, Feb 2025, Mar 2026
• Illinois State University Undergraduate Mathematics Colloquium, Nov 2025 (Zoom)
• University of Michigan Math Club, Mar 2025
• Stanford University Graduate Students ("Kiddie") Colloquium, Apr 2017, Jan 2021
• Canada/USA Mathcamp, Jul 2016

Sonification in Number Theory: Listening to the Riemann Zeta function.

This talk is to be given at a workshop on Illustation as a Mathematical Research Technique in March 2026. Content overlaps with the Music of Zeta. Includes an introduction to sonficication of functions, playing the zeta function in order to "hear" analytic continuation, and using the zeta function to play a modified prime-counting function.

• Mathematica notebook (Google Drive link. Can be opened with Wolfram Player)

Content last updated March 2026. Return to homepage