Troy professor presents research on Fourier Transform equation

Adele Henley photo

Yafet Erasmo Sanchez Sanchez presents his research on the Fourier transform.

A Troy University professor has spent countless hours researching musical frequencies

and their components. He presented his findings to students in a special lecture with the Center For Relativity and Cosmology.

Dr. Yafet Erasmo Sanchez Sanchez has researched the Fourier Transform, a

mathematical equation regarding noise frequencies and their components. Sanchez Sanchez explained the Fourier Transform and its relation to music, specifically analyzing and manipulating the frequencies.

“I started being interested because the Fourier Transform appears in physics often,

particularly in Quantum theory,” said Sanchez Sanchez. “This kind of description, in terms of frequencies, was how I fell in love with the Fourier Transform.”

Sanchez Sanchez’s presentation used examples of music and sonograms that were easy

for students who may not be familiar with the concept to understand. The examples utilized the fundamentals of pitch and time to determine frequencies. The sonograms were used for a visual aspect, and the frequencies were played to give students a better understanding.

“I didn’t think music had so much to do with physics,” said Ashton Harris, a freshman

biomedical science major from Phenix City, Alabama. “I now have questions regarding

gravitational waves and how we can hear them without actually producing sound waves.”

One example included “Hey Jude” by the Beatles. Sanchez Sanchez isolated the song

into threethat very refreshing to be able to talk to other departments.”

The Center of Relativity and Cosmology is planning to give more lectures this semester

and next semester. separate components using the Fourier Transform.

Sanchez Sanchez revealed how the Fourier Transform can be used to analyze black holes.

With the frequencies produced by black holes, astronomers can analyze the mass, size and speed.

“We’re in a new golden age of astronomy, we can hear the universe,” said Sanchez

Sanchez. “If you can see the frequency, we can ask ‘how does that frequency sound?’”

A few staff members from the school of music were in the audience. After the

presentation, Dr. Robert Gibson, the guitar professor, gave his comments from a musician’s standpoint.

“It’s quite interesting,” Gibson said. “There are a lot of parallels that music industry

majors can draw from this.”

Sanchez Sanches spoke on his feelings toward the presentation.

“I wasn’t too scared to make mistakes in the musical field,” said Sanchez Sanchez. “I

find it very nice that they were open to coming to talk to explore other possibilities, and I found.