Repository | Book | Chapter
(2002) Mathematics and music, Dordrecht, Springer.
Lagrange, "working mathematician" on music considered as a source for science
Jean Dhombres
pp. 65-78
Permanent secretary to the First class of the French National Institute, which was then a revolutionary replacement for the Academy of Science, Jean-Baptiste Delambre has left an interesting and rather personal portrait of Joseph-Louis Lagrange (1736–1813). In the tradition of academic life, the purpose of such an account written in 1813, was less to explain the scientific achievements of a man, than to portray what a great scientist should be1. Delambre then goes as far as telling us a socially bad story about Lagrange. And it concerns Lagrange's taste for music, or better said his misuse of music.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-04927-3_4
Full citation:
Dhombres, J. (2002)., Lagrange, "working mathematician" on music considered as a source for science, in G. Assayag, H. G. Feichtinger & J. F. Rodrigues (eds.), Mathematics and music, Dordrecht, Springer, pp. 65-78.
This document is unfortunately not available for download at the moment.