AV俱乐部

When you meet Jason Brown, he strikes you as more of a musician than a mathematician. With his 12-string guitar close at hand and a framed copy of an old LP he recorded in his undergraduate days, it鈥檚 hard to make the math-music connection. But his new book Our Days Are Numbered: How Mathematics Orders Our Lives is all about making those connections, in music and daily life.

鈥淢athematics is everywhere in our lives,鈥� says Dr. Brown, a professor of mathematics in AV俱乐部鈥檚 Department of Mathematics and Statistics. 鈥淚t starts for me in the morning when I get out of bed, and it鈥檚 with me until the end of my day.鈥�

Dr. Brown鈥檚 interest in using math to analyze music led him to write the book. His article theorizing how The Beatles played the famous opening chord of A Hard Day鈥檚 Night using mathematical principles, published in Guitar Player Magazine, unleashed a storm of interest in newspapers and on music websites around the world. It鈥檚 no wonder that a literary agent approached him soon afterwards about a book.听
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Book launch WHAT: Book launch for Dal math professor Jason Brown's book, Our Days Are Numbered: How Mathematics Orders Our Lives WHO: Dr. Brown will be performing with band mates Scott Ferguson, drummer; John Chiasson, bassist; and Hal Bruce, vocalist and guitarist. WHEN: Monday, May 4, 7 p.m. WHERE: The Learning Centre, Chase Building, AV俱乐部.

Having spent most of his undergraduate days working as a professional musician, Dr. Brown has always been drawn to the more creative side of mathematics. His current band, Proof, plays Beatles-inspired music based on the mathematics of how The Beatles created such a unique and universally appreciated sound.

鈥淢athematics, unbeknownst to most people, is not just a left-brained activity,鈥� explains Dr. Brown. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really a beautiful mix of analysis and creativity.鈥�

Dr. Brown uses this approach to find connections in everyday life, allowing readers to use math to solve problems or understand what鈥檚 happening around them. From how to calculate the correct tip in your head to the more complex task of deciphering fame, he shows how math connects everything.

鈥淥ne of the most interesting things to me in mathematics is not to dig as deep as you can in one area. It鈥檚 much more interesting to be closer to the surface and to look for connections amongst various theories of mathematics or amongst other areas of science and the arts.鈥�

Much of Dr. Brown鈥檚 book focuses on how people can use math to make decisions. In the case of the lottery and gambling, Dr. Brown writes:

Winners Kimberley Davies, Sandy Greenberg and Stephen Murphy Campbell have each won a copy听of Our Days Are Numbered, courtesy of publisher McClelland & Stewart.听They submitted the answer 29 to the听skill-testing question from Prof. Jason Brown: What is the 10th prime number? Thanks to all who entered.

鈥淭he key is that casinos want the odds to be in their favour, but only slightly, so that individuals will lose their money, and feel they have a chance at winning. Having said this, if you鈥檙e still hell-bent on betting, you might want to look over the losing odds and payout odds for various bets for different games and choose the bet that has the smallest spread. Even though you will likely lose money over time, you鈥檒l be able to enjoy the experience longer.鈥�

Not all decisions are so clear cut, but from deciding on the right spouse to understanding how governments can ignore global warming, Dr. Brown鈥檚 book provides mathematical insight.

鈥淚 think the more mathematics you bring to all these endeavors and problems, the closer you will be to understanding them and finding solutions.鈥�

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Rachel MacKeigan is a public relations student at NSCC who is doing an internship with AV俱乐部's Communications and Marketing office.