Mathematics
Patterns, questions, and the satisfaction of understanding why. Studying math gives my curiosity somewhere to wander.
Studies, sounds & other curiosities by
Will Sams.
A life of study & sound.
A student of mathematics, a lover of classical music, and someone who believes the best part of learning is sharing what you've discovered. Welcome to my little corner of the world, where I collect ideas, ask questions, and occasionally find answers.
Explore the collection A little about me
I. / About me
Where There's a Will, There's a Question.
Hi, I'm Will! I'm a mathematics student at the University of Texas at Austin, a musician, and someone who spends a probably unreasonable amount of time thinking about why things work the way they do.
I'm particularly interested in mathematics and music, which, despite what you might think, have quite a bit in common. I love understanding why a theorem is true, why certain notes sound good together, and how something as abstract as numbers or sounds can become something meaningful.
More than anything, though, I enjoy sharing what I learn. I hope to become a professor someday, not because I particularly enjoy standing in front of a room talking (although I certainly don't mind), but because there's something special about helping someone understand something they once thought was beyond them.
I know not everyone gets excited about mathematics or music theory, and I can't say I blame them. But I think just about anything can be interesting if someone takes the time to explain it well. That's more or less the idea behind this website: sharing things I find interesting and, hopefully, making them a little more interesting to someone else.
II. / My interests
Mathematics, teaching,
and music.
Education
Making space for questions and helping an idea click. Sharing understanding is one of the things I love most.
Classical music
Time spent listening. Time spent making. Classical music is a love of mine; creating music is another way to follow an idea and see where it leads.
Interlude / Explore an idea
A study in
vibration.
A wave is one place mathematics and music meet. Change the frequency and watch the pattern repeat more often.
Plate III.Periodic motion
y = sin(2πft)
Here, f is the number of cycles in a unit of time. More cycles in that same time mean a higher frequency. For a sound wave, a higher frequency means a higher pitch.
Fig. III. — A study of periodic motion · no audioThe collection
Three ways of looking closer.
III. / Projects
From the writing desk.
Personal portfolio
In progressYou’re looking at it. A small website built from scratch as I learn the foundations of the web.
More to make, more to learn. I’m glad you’re here.