Chaos, Fractals, and Music: An Initial Exploration into the Chaotic Nature and Fractal Research of Musical Works

Author: Jiang Wantong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Chaos theory is an emerging doctrine established in the 1970s. This doctrine is considered one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century, marking the third revolution after relativity and quantum mechanics. The emergence of chaos theory is a product of the integration of modern science and modern technology, particularly computer technology, and is the result of interdisciplinary, multi-domain cross-fertilization and mutual influence. This paper applies the research findings of chaos theory to observe, explore, and study the phenomenon of musical development in musical works, discussing and elaborating on both fundamental and overall expressive means. It is not a specialized study of the works of a particular composer, a specific musical style, or a certain musical school, but rather focuses on some universal phenomena in musical works—phenomena that are well-known yet often overlooked. By examining and analyzing these phenomena through this new perspective, the aim is to grasp the lawfulness of music on a macro scale, thus giving it the nature of fundamental theoretical research. The paper sets the initial conditions as the starting point of the research, beginning with time series and spatial sequences, and discussing and elaborating on both fundamental and overall expressive means at various levels: The introduction briefly introduces the rationale, significance, and general research status of the topic both domestically and internationally; Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 categorize the behavioral modalities of musical works during their developmental process, observing and discussing the phenomena of musical works from the perspectives of determinism and uncertainty; Chapter 3 elaborates on the phenomena in musical works from a systems theory perspective, further pointing out that musical works are a combination of determinism and uncertainty—a nonlinear dynamic system; Chapter 4 then clarifies the chaotic phenomena in musical works, revealing their chaotic essence.