What Do The Beatles and Mathematics Have in Common? Trent Lecture Will Explore the Connection

By Scott Arnold

A little mathematics and a lot of music will come together at Market Hall as Trent University welcomes a Dalhousie professor known for uncovering the mathematical secrets behind The Beatles.

Dr. Jason I. Brown will bring mathematics and music together at Trent University's free public lecture, exploring the surprising mathematical connections behind some of The Beatles' most familiar songs. (photo courtesy of the national museum of mathematics)

What makes a Beatles song work so well? It might be more mathematical than you think.

Trent University's 2026 David Poole Lecture will explore the unexpected connections between mathematics and music when Dr. Jason I. Brown, a professor of mathematics and statistics at Dalhousie University, visits Peterborough on Thursday, November 12th.

Titled A Hard Days' Math: The Connections Between Mathematics and Music, the free public lecture will use familiar Beatles songs and live musical examples to make mathematics come alive.

A group of Trent alumni blues musicians will join Dr. Brown throughout the evening, including as he explores why the bridge in The Beatles' I Want to Hold Your Hand works so well.

Dr. Brown has gained international recognition for applying mathematics to the music of The Beatles, with his research attracting attention from CBC, BBC, The Wall Street Journal and Wired.

The lecture is part of Trent University's Community Speaker Series and takes place from 7pm to 8pm at Market Hall in downtown Peterborough.

Admission is free and the public is welcome.

Scott Arnold is a Journalist and Content Creator at PTBOCanada Media Inc

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