Maximal evenness

The major scale is maximally even. For example, for

every generic interval of a second there are only two
possible specific intervals: 1 semitone (a minor
second) or 2 semitones (a major second).
The harmonic minor scale is not maximally even. For
the generic interval of a second rather than only two
specific intervals, the scale contains three: 1, 2, and 3
(augmented second) semitones.

In scale (music) theory a maximally even

set (scale) is one in which every generic
interval has either one or two consecutive
integers specific interval sizes—in other
words a scale whose notes (pcs) are
"spread out as much as possible." This
property was first described by John
Clough and Jack Douthett.[1] Clough and
Douthett also introduced the maximally
even algorithm. For a chromatic cardinality
c, a pcset D of cardinality d is maximally
enen if and only if there exists an integer
m, 0 ≤ m ≤ c − 1 such that

D = {floor( ck d+ m )}

where k ranges from 0 to d − 1. An

excellent discussion on these concepts
can be found in Timothy Johnson's book
on the mathematical foundations of
diatonic scale theory.[2] Jack Douthett and
Richard Krantz introduced maximally even
sets to the mathematics literature.[3][4]
Douthett and Krantz compare sets of
equal cardinality and measure their
"evenness" with a convex (concave)
weighting function called an interaction.
They call sets with the least (greatest,
resp.) weight maximally even. They then
show these sets are precisely those
defined by Clough and Douthett as
maximally even.
A scale is said to have Myhill's property if
every generic interval comes in two
specific interval sizes, and a scale with
Myhill's property is said to be a non-
degenerate well-formed scale.* [5] The
diatonic collection is both a non-
degenerate well-formed scale (since it has
Myhill's property) and is maximally even.
The whole-tone scale is also maximally
even, and is a degenerate well-formed
scale since each generic interval comes in
only one size. The diminished scale (e.g.,
{0,1,3,4,6,7,9,10}) is maximally even but
well-formed in any sense. The set {0,2,7} is
non-degenerate well-formed but not
maximally even.

Second-order maximal evenness is

maximal evenness of a subcollection of a
larger collection that is maximally even.
Diatonic triads and seventh chords
possess second-order maximal evenness,
being maximally even in regard to the
maximally even diatonic scale—but are not
maximally even with regard to the
chromatic scale. (ibid, p. 115) This nested
quality resembles Fred Lerdahl's[6]
"reductional format" for pitch space from
the bottom up:

C E G C
C D EF G A BC
CD♭DE♭EFF♯GA♭AB♭BC

(Lerdahl, 1992)

In a dynamical approach, spinning

concentric circles and iterated maximally
even sets have been constructed. This
approach has implications in Neo-
Riemannean Theory, and leads to some
interesting connections between diatonic
and chromatic theory.[7] Emmanuel Amiot
has discovered yet another way to define
maximally even sets by employing discrete
Fourier transforms.[8][9]

Note
There are two types of well-formed
scales, degenerate and non-degenerate.
There is only one specific interval
interval for each generic interval of a
degenerate well-formed scale (an equal-
tempered scale), while non-degenerate
well-formed scales have Myhill's
property.
References
1. Clough, John; Douthett, Jack (1991).
"Maximally Even Sets". Journal of
Music Theory (35): 93–173.
2. Johnson, Timothy (2003). Foundations
of Diatonic Theory: A Mathematical
Based Approach to Musical
Fundamentals. Key College Publishing.
ISBN 1-930190-80-8.
3. Douthett, Jack; Krantz, Richard (2007).
"Maximally Even Sets and
Configurations: Common Threads in
Mathematics, Physics and Music".
 Journal of Combinatorial Optimization.
14: 385–410.
4. Douthett, Jack; Krantz, Richard (2007).
"Dinner Tables and Concentric Circles:
A harmony of Mathematics, Music,
and Physics". College Mathematics
Journal. 39 (3): 203–211.
5. Carey, Norman; Clampitt, David (1989).
"Aspects of Well-Formed Scales".
Music Theory Spectrum. 11: 187–206.
6. Lerdahl, Fred (1992). "Cognitive
Constraints on Compositional
Systems". Contemporary Music
Review. 6 (2): 97–121.
7. Douthett, Jack (2008). Douthett, J.;
Hyde, M.; Smith, C. (eds.). "Filter Point-
Symmetry and Dynamical Voice-
Leading". Music and
Mathematics:Chords, Collections, and
Transformations. New York: University
of Rochester Press. Eastman Studies
in Music: 72–106. ISBN 1-58046-266-
9..
8. Armiot, Emmanuel (2007). "David
Lewin and Maximally Even Sets".
Journal of Mathematics and Music. 1
(3): 157–172.
 9. Armiot, Emmanuel (2016). Music
Through Fourier Space: Discrete
Fourier Transform in Music Theory.
Springer. ISBN 9783319455808.

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