Mathematician Brook Taylor died in 1731.

British mathematician Brook Taylor (1685–1731) contributed much to the field of mathematics, but he also performed experiments and published articles on topics as diverse as capillary action, magnetism and thermometers. His work in mathematics was instrumental in the development of calculus; his 1709 paper, which offers a solution to the problem of finding the center of oscillation of a body, relied heavily on Newtonian approaches to differential calculus. Between 1712 and 1715, Taylor produced some of his most important work. In an article, he explored the approximation of roots of an equation by giving a new method for computing logarithms. In two books, Taylor expounded upon several concepts that have become foundational notions in the field of mathematics. Among these are the calculus of finite differences, integration by parts, a way of relating the derivative of a function to the derivative of the inverse function and a discussion of the mechanical principles involved in the vibrations of a string. In 1772, a half-century after his death, a concept called Taylor’s Theorem was proclaimed the foundational principle of differential calculus.

Illuminations
Sound Sketch Tool (K–8) is a java applet that allows students to sketch and quantify sound using two different representations. Sound can be measured and quantified in many different ways. Sheet music is one way to represent a series of sounds. MP3 players and computers use a different representation to store a sound.

Sound Wave (6–12) is a java applet designed to help students understand the mathematical models used to represent sound and to explore the dynamics of sound waves.

Students can explore the mathematics behind stringed instruments in To Fret or Not To Fret (9–12). Students explore geometric sequences and exponential functions by considering the placement of frets on stringed instruments.

ARTSEDGE
String Instruments and Pitch (K–4), part of a multi-part unit, introduces students to the instruments of the string family. Students learn the types and parts of string instruments and then create their own "string" instrument.