Ed Sheeran and the mathematics of musical coincidences
Ed Sheeran thinks that musical coincidences will always happen… but do the numbers agree?
More or Less · BBC Radio 4
June 25, 202211m 0s
Show Notes
After beating a plagiarism claim in court, musician Ed Sheeran said that musical coincidences were inevitable with only 12 notes to choose from… but what do the numbers say? Mathematician and concert pianist Eugenia Cheng takes us through the mathematics of music and explains how the power of exponentials mean that just a handful of notes can open up a seemingly endless world of musical variety.
Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Nathan Gower Programme Coordinator: Janet Staples Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill