Rank 3 scale: Difference between revisions

Lhearne (talk | contribs)
Lhearne (talk | contribs)
Line 89: Line 89:
'''Proof:'''
'''Proof:'''


Since there are three step sizes, a,b, and c, interval class ''N'' has variety 3
Since there are three step sizes, a, b, and c, interval class ''N'' has variety 3


Scale segments of length 1≤length≤''N''/2-1 comprise either all a’s, all a’s but single b, or all a’s but for a single c, and therefore interval classes of length 1≤length≤''N''/2-1 have variety 3. Interval classes of length ''N''/2+1≤length≤''N''-1 also have variety 3 by symmetry (given that scale segments of length ''N''/2+1≤length≤''N''-1 are the complement of scale segments of length 1≤length≤''N''/2-1.
Scale segments of length 1≤length≤''N''/2-1 comprise either all a’s, all a’s but single b, or all a’s but for a single c, and therefore interval classes of length 1≤length≤''N''/2-1 have variety 3. Interval classes of length ''N''/2+1≤length≤''N''-1 also have variety 3 by symmetry (given that scale segments of length ''N''/2+1≤length≤''N''-1 are the complement of scale segments of length 1≤length≤''N''/2-1.
Line 105: Line 105:
Many SN scales have max variety 4 and mean variety < 3, including all scales for which the number of incidences of one step size is equal to the sum of the numbers of incidences of the remaining 2 step sizes. It follows that such scales are of even cardinality (possess an even number of notes), and can be generated by adding to any WF scale an incidence of a third generator, smaller than the small step of the WF scale, above or below each step of the WF scale. A reasonably well-known example of this is MET-24, which can be generated by adding an incidence of a generator around 57c above or below each step of the Pythagorean chromatic scale (and then tempering). MET-24 has three sizes of 2nd and 24th, 2 sizes of 3rd, 5th, 7th, …, 23rd etc. (the parapythagorean chromatic scale), and 4 sizes of 4th, 6th, 8th, …, 22nd.  
Many SN scales have max variety 4 and mean variety < 3, including all scales for which the number of incidences of one step size is equal to the sum of the numbers of incidences of the remaining 2 step sizes. It follows that such scales are of even cardinality (possess an even number of notes), and can be generated by adding to any WF scale an incidence of a third generator, smaller than the small step of the WF scale, above or below each step of the WF scale. A reasonably well-known example of this is MET-24, which can be generated by adding an incidence of a generator around 57c above or below each step of the Pythagorean chromatic scale (and then tempering). MET-24 has three sizes of 2nd and 24th, 2 sizes of 3rd, 5th, 7th, …, 23rd etc. (the parapythagorean chromatic scale), and 4 sizes of 4th, 6th, 8th, …, 22nd.  


'''Theorem:''' The mean variety of scales generated by a single incidence of a third generator at the top or bottom of each step of a WF, with cardinality ''N'', is equal to (3''N''-4)/(''N''-1)
'''Theorem:''' The mean variety of scales X generated by a single incidence of a third generator at the top or bottom of each step of a WF, with cardinality ''N'', is equal to (3''N''-4)/(''N''-1)


'''Proof:'''
'''Proof:'''


Every second step of the scale gives the WF scale the 3-SN scale is generated from. We can this scale W.
Every second step of X gives the WF scale X scale is generated from. We can this scale 'W'.


Call the small and large steps of the WF scale 'S' and 'L', respectively, the size of the new generator 'G', where G<S<L, and the period of the scale 'P'. There are 3 sizes of second (interval class 1), G, S-G, and L-G, and three sizes of the largest interval class of the scale, interval class ''N''­-1, i.e., the difference between P and the 3 sizes of second.
Call the small and large steps of W 'S' and 'L', respectively, the size of the new generator 'G', where G<S<L, and the period of the scale 'P'. There are 3 sizes of second (interval class 1): G, S-G, and L-G. It follows immediately that there are also three sizes of the largest interval class of the scale, interval class ''N''­-1, i.e., the difference between P and the 3 sizes of second.


For a scale of cardinality ''N'', The WF scale it is generated by has cardinality ''N''/2, so we have ''N''/2-1 interval classes with 2 step sizes.
For a scale X of cardinality ''N'', W has cardinality ''N''/2, so we have ''N''/2-1 interval classes with 2 step sizes.


For interval class 1+2C, for 1 ≤C ≤ (''N''/2)-2, from the 2 sizes A and A+L-S of interval class 2C, may be added the steps G, S-G, or L-G, leading to the possible interval sizes A+G, A+S-G, A+L-G, A+L-S+G, A+L-S+S-G=A+L-G, and A+L-S+L-G. However, since A<A+L-S, if we have both A+S-G, and A+L-S+L-G, then, after adding G, the next step of the scale, to both, to get to an interval class of W, we have step sizes differing by 2S-2L, and W would not be WF, and so we can have only one of these, reducing our set of possible interval sizes to 4.
For interval class 1+2C, for 1 ≤C ≤ (''N''/2)-2, from the 2 sizes A and A+L-S of interval class 2C, may be added the steps G, S-G, or L-G, leading to the possible interval sizes A+G, A+S-G, A+L-G, A+L-S+G, A+L-S+S-G=A+L-G, and A+L-S+L-G. However, since A<A+L-S, if we have both A+S-G, and A+L-S+L-G, then, after adding G, the next step of the scale, to both, to get to an interval class of W, we have step sizes differing by 2S-2L, and W would not be WF, and so we can have only one of these, reducing our set of possible interval sizes to 4.


Then the total number of specific intervals in the scale is (''N''/2-1)*2 + 2*3 + (''N''/2-2)*4 = 6+''N''-2+2''N''-8 = 3''N''-4, and the mean variety = (3''N''-4)/(''N''-1)
Then the total number of specific intervals in E is (''N''/2-1)*2 + 2*3 + (''N''/2-2)*4 = 6+''N''-2+2''N''-8 = 3''N''-4, and the mean variety = (3''N''-4)/(''N''-1)


'''Conjecture:''' SN scales only of the form a…ba…c, or generated by a single incidence of a third gen at the top or bottom of each step of a WF, have mean variety < 3.
'''Conjecture:''' SN scales only of the form a…ba…c, or generated by a single incidence of a third gen at the top or bottom of each step of a WF, have mean variety < 3.