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Career profiles

What do mathematicians do all day?

Robert Lang origami

Origamaths

Origami is more than just folding bits of paper – this Japanese art can solve equations and save lives.

Sound waves

Top tracks, small size

Ever wondered how you can cram so many songs on to a tiny MP3 player?

iPod shuffle

Do iPods really shuffle?

Switching to shuffle is a great way of changing up your playlist, but a random mix isn't always best.

Pythagorean Theorem

A mathematical legacy

Pythagoras was an ancient Greek philosopher who discovered the mathematical structure behind music during the 6th century BC. He was one of the first people to study the properties of numbers, and the relationships between them. As well as recognising the maths of music, he came up the famous theorem for the sides of a right-angled triangle: a² + b² = c².

Guitar

The harmony of numbers

The maths of music is more than just keeping the beat – it also helps musicians stay in tune!