S-expression: Difference between revisions

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Made significance more concrete and less chaffy
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=== Significance/motivation ===
=== Significance/motivation ===
Square-particulars are important structurally because they are the intervals between consecutive [[superparticular]] [[interval]]s while simultaneously being superparticular themselves, which means that whether and how they are tempered tells us information about how well a temperament can represent the harmonic series up to the ({{nowrap|''k'' + 1}})th harmonic, as well as the potential representational sacrifices that must be made from that point onward. In other words, understanding the mappings of S''k'' in a given temperament is equivalent to understanding the spacing of consecutive superparticular intervals, and thereby to understanding the way it represents (or tries to represent) the harmonic series.
Square-superparticulars are the intervals between consecutive [[superparticular]] [[interval]]s, such that tempering Sk out makes the harmonic segment centered around k have equal steps; eg. tempering out S9 = 81/80 equalizes 8:9:10, as in [[meantone]]. Understanding the mappings of S''k'' in a given temperament is equivalent to understanding the spacing of consecutive superparticulars and the way it represents (or tries to represent) the harmonic series.


=== Table of square-particulars ===
=== Table of square-particulars ===