Why Bother?
Page 0 from the Prime Listening Guide
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"Why," you might be asking, "why listen to the primes?" I am tempted to just reply "why not," but let me give a more informative three part answer.
- First, our goal in these short notes is to introduce some
of
the patterns in the primes and contrast them with the primes’ inherit
irregularities. We all regularly use our ears to discern patterns. For
example, we listen to our car's engine to see if it is running smoothly.
Why not apply this natural ability to the primes?
- Second, a fundamental pedagogical principle states that you
may increase learning by increasing involvement. "Multimedia" computers
address two of our senses: sight and sound. Why not use this to
our advantage when teaching about primes?
- Third, for the sake of novelty. I have always wanted to "hear the primes." Next I want to work on smelling the primes, but the net is not up to that yet (and I can not think of any useful way to do it--can you?)
Note that my goal was to use sound to recognize patterns in the primes, not to create "music." Any listening pleasure gained is an plus (and yes, I do like listening to the primes).
Printed from the PrimePages <t5k.org> © Reginald McLean.