Symmetry, Music and Water

Abstract

Marc Henry and Sylvain Bridoux

There is a deep link existing between symmetry and nature that may be best apprehended by using group theory. In physics, giving a symmetry group is entirely equivalent to fix natural laws (Noether’s theorem). Within such a framework, it follows that all fundamental mechanical laws may be given by defining a group of symmetry operations belonging to the Gal (3,1) symmetry group having ten generators (3 + 3 + 3 + 1 = 10). The move to special relativity amounts simply to substitute another group ISO (3,1) to Gal (3,1) and having the same number of generators. In both cases, one immediately perceives that we live in universe with 3 dimensions of space and 1 dimension of time. A further progress could be made by looking for the symmetry group that leaves Maxwell’s equations invariant. The answer to this fundamental question is the group ISO (4,2) ⊗U (2) ⊗U (2) characterized by 23 generators: 15 = 10 + 5 for the conformal group ISO(4,2), 4 for U(2) and hence 8 = 4 + 4 for the compact part U(2) ⊗U(2) that could be related to the existence of quantum physics besides relativity. As ISO (3,1) is a sub-group of ISO (4,2), the two numbers 4 and 2 suggests that, taking into account the existence of light besides matter, we live in an universe having 4 spacelike dimensions and 2 time-like dimensions. Here, it is proposed that, as music is characterized by a scale-invariant symmetry operation (transposition by octaves) and that as time may be perceived differently in shamanic trance for instance, the two “new” dimensions of our universe may be related to music and consciousness. Related to the fifth dimension of music, the notion of diapason linking physical frequencies to a musical note is revisited. It is thus proposed to adopt a new A4 = 429.62 Hz value based on universal physical constants of our universe and on the mass of the water molecule H2O, "The most abundant heteronuclear molecule in the entire universe". Demonstration is done that this new diapason is superior to other diapasons based on frequencies of 440 Hz or even 432 Hz.

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