Last week Dr. Paula Wilhite, Northeast Texas Community College Professor of Mathematics/Division Chair for Math, Physics and Engineering, presented “The Beauty of Mathematics in Beethoven’s Compositions” at the annual conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) in Toronto, Canada. Included in her presentation was the beauty of the patterns of mathematics in Ludwig Beethoven’s classical and romantic styles of musical works that may explain how his creativity appeared unaffected by his tragic deafness. She examined famous compositions from Beethoven’s artistry including “Moonlight Sonata” and “The 5th Symphony” for complex mathematical design. At previous conferences, Dr. Wilhite has also presented reviews of mathematical structures in the musical compositions of Debussy, Mozart, and Gershwin.
