Nearest just interval: Difference between revisions
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An irrational interval or ratio of frequencies given by a real number r has an infinite list of ''nearest just intervals''; if r is rational, the list is finite, terminating in r. For arbitrary (including negative) real numbers this corresponds to what number theorists call ''best rational approximations''. A ratio of integers p/q with q > 0 and p and q relatively prime is a best rational approximation if there is no ratio m/n with n < q which is a better approximation to r. If r is an interval of music it is positive, and both p and q are positive. Note that a nearest just interval is not necessarily nearest in logarithmic terms; 4/3 and 3/2 are the same distance in cents from √2 = 600 cents, but |4/3 - √2| = .08088 whereas |3/2 - √2| = 0.08479, which is larger. | |||
Best rational approximations also arise in music theory logarithmically, as the best rational approximations to the logarithm base two of some number such as 3/2 or ∜5 is often of interest. | |||
The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continued_fraction#Semiconvergents semiconvergents] of the continued fraction for r include all of the best rational approximations. The convergents are equivalent with a stronger notion of best approximation, namely [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continued_fraction#Best_rational_approximations best relative approximation]. Here it is required that |qr - p| is less than |nr - m| for any n < q. | |||
== Examples == | |||
=== Approximations for Ratios (of Pure Intervals) === | |||
The best rational approximations to log2(3/2) define edos which have especially good approximations to the fifth (701.955000865... [[cent|cents]]): | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
| | '''Step\EDO''' | |||
| | '''log([[Tenney_Height|Tenney Height]])''' | |||
| | '''size''' in cents | |||
| | '''"error"''' in cents | |||
|- | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 1 \ 1 | |||
| | 0.0 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 1200.0 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 498.04 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 1 \ 2 | |||
| | 1.0 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 600.00 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -101.96 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 2 \ 3 | |||
| | 2.585 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 800.00 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 98.045 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 3 \ [[5edo|5]] | |||
| | 3.907 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 720.00 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 18.045 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 4 \ [[7edo|7]] | |||
| | 4.807 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 685.7143 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -16.2407 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 7 \ [[12edo|12]] | |||
| | 6.392 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 700.00 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -1.955 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 17 \ [[29edo|29]] | |||
| | 8.945 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 703.4483 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 1.4933 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 24 \ [[41edo|41]] | |||
| | 9.943 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 702.43902 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.48402 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 31 \ [[53edo|53]] | |||
| | 10.682 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 701.88679 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -0.06821 | |||
|} | |||
<ul><li>''for approximations of the harmonic seventh see [[7/4#Approximations|7_4]]''</li></ul> | |||
=== Approximation for Logarihmic Measures === | |||
The 600-cent interval sqrt(2) (6 steps of [[12edo|12edo]], "Tritone") approximates following ratios: | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
| | '''freq. ratio''' | |||
| | '''log2([[Tenney_Height|Tenney Height]])''' | |||
| | '''size''' in cents | |||
| | '''"error"''' in cents | |||
|- | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 1 / 1 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.0 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.0 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 600.0 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | [[3/2|3 / 2]] | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 2.585 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 701.96 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 101.96 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | [[4/3|4 / 3]] | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 3.585 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 498.04 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -101.96 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | [[7/5|7 / 5]] | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 5.129 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 582.51 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -17.49 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | [[17/12|17 / 12]] | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 7.672 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 603.000 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 3.000 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 24 / 17 | |||
| | | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 597.000 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -3.000 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 99 / 70 | |||
| | | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 600.0883 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.0883 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 140 / 99 | |||
| | | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 599.9117 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -0.0883 | |||
|- | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
|} | |||
The 300-cent interval 2^(1/4) (3 steps of [[12edo|12edo]], "minor third") approximates following ratios: | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
| | '''freq. ratio''' | |||
| | '''log([[Tenney_Height|Tenney Height]])''' | |||
| | '''size''' in cents | |||
| | '''"error"''' in cents | |||
|- | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 1 / 1 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.0 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.0 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 300.0 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | [[6/5|6 / 5]] | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 4.907 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 315.64 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 15.64 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | [[13/11|13 / 11]] | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 7.160 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 289.21 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -10.79 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | [[19/16|19 / 16]] | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 8.248 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 297.51 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | -2.49 | |||
|- | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | [[25/21|25 / 21]] | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 9.036 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 301.84 | |||
| style="text-align:center;" | 1.84 | |||
|- | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
| | ... | |||
|} | |||
[[Category:Elementary math]] | |||
[[Category:Approximation]] | |||
[[Category:Just intonation]] | |||
{{todo|add examples}} | |||