MUSC2111 (Algebra and Geometry of Music) course reviews and ratings at Northeastern (NEU). Average rating 5.0/5. Compare professors with RateMyProfessor reviews.
Engages mathematical thinking in music with regard to its symbolic (how we represent music using numbers and signs); sonic (how mathematical thinking might create insights into musical sound); and grammatical (the logic by which music proceeds from one time to the next) expressions. Music and mathematics both contain objects that exhibit similar properties, such as circularity, similarity, objecthood, spatial dimensionality, dynamics, and processuality. Draws upon various branches of mathematics, including number theory, set theory, algebra, geometry, and statistics. Such representations highlight fundamental musical principles invoked in the process of improvisation, performance, and composition. As such, musical listening is a key component of the course. Ability to read musical notation or musical experience preferred.
Data updated October 2026.