Dave Keenan and geometric mean

>Certainly the next step is to get the complexity of a ratio from its
>numerator and denominator, but I'm unclear whether to multiply them, or
>take the maximum value (as is normally done with odd or prime limits).

In my experience their product can be very useful. I learned this from
Denny Genovese, who calls it the DF. The idea is based on Partch's
(perhaps dubious) assumption that the length of the period of the composite
wave determines its consonance. Does anybody know anything about Lissajous
curves?

I'd like to learn more about how this approach overlaps or contradicts with
the maximum value approach.

>If you multiply them you should then take the square-root (i.e. you should
>find the geometric mean). This is to keep them commensurate with the
odd->limit or prime-limit where the max value is taken.

I don't see how taking the square root hurts anything, but I don't see what
it adds either. What do you mean by "commensurate" with the max value
approaches?

C.

Carl
I used lissajous figures as a visual score/with Denny,Barbara,Ben and Indra on
the Atlantean Plain record. They get more bug-eye like the farther up the
series you go a circle for 1/1 and a neato fish-like spinning "cosmic flounder"
for the 3/2 which spins the other way for subharmonics---great fun to try to
react to in 1 second blasts.
Pat

Carl Lumma wrote:

> From: Carl Lumma <clumma@nni.com>
>
> >Certainly the next step is to get the complexity of a ratio from its
> >numerator and denominator, but I'm unclear whether to multiply them, or
> >take the maximum value (as is normally done with odd or prime limits).
>
> In my experience their product can be very useful. I learned this from
> Denny Genovese, who calls it the DF. The idea is based on Partch's
> (perhaps dubious) assumption that the length of the period of the composite
> wave determines its consonance. Does anybody know anything about Lissajous
> curves?
>
> I'd like to learn more about how this approach overlaps or contradicts with
> the maximum value approach.
>
> >If you multiply them you should then take the square-root (i.e. you should
> >find the geometric mean). This is to keep them commensurate with the
> odd->limit or prime-limit where the max value is taken.
>
> I don't see how taking the square root hurts anything, but I don't see what
> it adds either. What do you mean by "commensurate" with the max value
> approaches?
>
> C.
>
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