At first glance, mathematics and rock music might not go together as irresistibly as peanut butter and jelly do. But they have closer ties than you might think. Look no farther than Robert Schneider, lead singer, songwriter, and producer for the indie rock group The Apples in Stereo. The musician (and Euler enthusiast), who happens to spend much of his time thinking and writing about mathematics, will put both his mathematical insights and his musical skills on display in two special events at MathFest.
MAA President Joe Gallian will host a public interview with Schneider on Thursday, Aug. 2, at 6:00 p.m., where the pair will discuss Schneider's work related to the prime number theorem, logarithmic scales, and the development of a non-Pythagorean musical scale. The latest album from The Apples in Stereo, "New Magnetic Wonder," includes several songs that feature Schneider's alternative musical scale.
Schneider will then perform a short acoustic set on Saturday, Aug. 4, at 9 p.m. as part of the celebration recognizing 20 years of undergraduate student talks at MAA summer meetings.—R. Miller
Register for MathFest at http://www.maa.org/mathfest.