Algebraic number: Difference between revisions
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A [http://mathworld.wolfram.com/UnivariatePolynomial.html univariate polynomial] ''a''<sub>0</sub>''x''<sup>''n''</sup> + ''a''<sub>1</sub>''x''<sup>(''n'' - 1)</sup> + … + ''a''<sub>''n''</sub> whose coefficients ''a''<sub>''i''</sub> are integers (or equivalently, rational numbers) has roots which are known as | {{Wikipedia}} | ||
A [http://mathworld.wolfram.com/UnivariatePolynomial.html univariate polynomial] ''a''<sub>0</sub>''x''<sup>''n''</sup> + ''a''<sub>1</sub>''x''<sup>(''n'' - 1)</sup> + … + ''a''<sub>''n''</sub> whose coefficients ''a''<sub>''i''</sub> are integers (or equivalently, rational numbers) has roots which are known as '''algebraic numbers'''. A root is a value ''r'' for which the [[Wikipedia: Polynomial #Polynomial functions|polynomial function]] ''f'' (''x'') = ''a''<sub>0</sub>''x''<sup>''n''</sup> + ''a''<sub>1</sub>''x''<sup>(''n'' - 1)</sup> + … + ''a''<sub>''n''</sub> satisfies ''f'' (''r'') = 0. If ''r'' is a [[Wikipedia: Real number|real number]], it is a ''real algebraic number''. | |||
Real algebraic numbers which are not also rational numbers turn up in various places in musical tuning theory. For instance, the intervals in the [[Target_tunings|target tunings]] minimax or least squares are real algebraic numbers. An example of this is 1/4-comma meantone, where 2 and 5 are not tempered but 3 is tempered to 2×5<sup>1/4</sup>, a root of ''x''<sup>4</sup> - 80. [[Generators]] for [[linear temperament]]s which are real algebraic numbers can have interesting properties in terms of the | Real algebraic numbers which are not also rational numbers turn up in various places in musical tuning theory. For instance, the intervals in the [[Target_tunings|target tunings]] minimax or least squares are real algebraic numbers. An example of this is 1/4-comma meantone, where 2 and 5 are not tempered but 3 is tempered to 2×5<sup>1/4</sup>, a root of ''x''<sup>4</sup> - 80. [[Generators]] for [[linear temperament]]s which are real algebraic numbers can have interesting properties in terms of the {{w|combination tone|combination tones}} they produce. Algebraic numbers are also relevant to JI-agnostic [[delta-rational]] harmony, as tunings of [[mos scale]]s with exact delta-rational values for a certain chord have generators that are algebraic numbers in the linear frequency domain. | ||
Finding numerical values for real algebraic numbers is probably best left to a computer algebra package, but iterative methods such as | Finding numerical values for real algebraic numbers is probably best left to a computer algebra package, but iterative methods such as {{w|Newton's method}} can be used. A refinement of Newton's method is the {{w|Durand–Kerner method}}. | ||
[[Category:Math]] | [[Category:Math]] | ||
[[Category:Number theory]] | [[Category:Number theory]] | ||
[[Category:todo:increase applicability]] | [[Category:todo:increase applicability]] |