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All-interval Fractal Sets

and the Fibonacci series

Dr. Jolyon Laycock May 2020

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All-interval Fractal Sets and the Fibonacci Series.

Abstract:
This paper presents an analysis of proportional relationships created by the multiplication of All-
Interval Fractal Sets to the nth degree to produce fractal structures of infinite length. The resulting
quasi-geometric series is compared with other geometric and quasi-geometric progressions such as
the Corbusier Modulor and the Fibonacci Series.

Introduction
My first paper on All-Interval Fractal Sets appeared in 2010. My investigations at that time were
based on a trial-and-error method which was inherently unreliable and my findings turned out to be
incomplete. In April 2019, I published a revision entitled “All-Interval Fractal Sets – a detailed
analysis”. I am now confident this new paper represents a definitive and accurate analysis of this
remarkable musical phenomenon.

The 2019 paper revealed that there are 256 viable all-interval fractal sets. The purpose of the paper
was to analyse them according to individual characteristics, and to catalogue and classify them
according to their shared features. The purpose of this current paper is to show how sets can be
multiplied upon themselves and to analyse the proportionality of the temporal relationships at
different levels within the resulting fractal structures. I will show how multiple fractal structures give
rise to quasi-geometric number sequences resembling the Fibonacci and other numerical series.

Before going on to discuss these findings let us summarise the conclusions of the April 2019 paper.

All-interval fractal sets consist of a sequence of pitches which must meet three conditions:
1. They must contain 7 different pitch classes. No pitch class may be repeated.
2. They must contain all six primary intervals as linear intervals once and once only. No linear
interval may be repeated.
3. They must contain all six primary intervals as resultant intervals once and once only. No
resultant interval may be repeated.

General characteristics:
• There are 66 possible permutations of six interval numbers that meet the three conditions.
• Permutations fall into 33 pairs related by the principle of 1/5 interval reversal e.g.
152634:512634.
• Each permutation exists in a number of possible versions differentiated by different patterns
of interval polarity: plus signs represent rising intervals (+); ‘minus’ signs represent falling
intervals (-).
• Such patterns of interval polarity give rise to two forms of inversion: full inversion in which
all polarities are reversed and partial inversion in which only some of the polarities are
reversed.
• Taking into account all possible inversions and partial inversions of the 66 permutations,
there are a total of 256 possible all-interval-fractal sets, a number which may be expressed
as 28.
• All sets belong to one of 8 modes, five of which are asymmetrical and therefore invertible,
and three of which are symmetrical and therefore non-invertible.

The following example shows two typical bundles of four sets related by full inversion, partial
inversion and 1/5 interval reversal:
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Example 1:

• Numbers above the staff are linear intervals; numbers below the staff are resultant intervals.
• Modal identity is expressed by the 7-digit code above the staff.
• Mode 1213113 is symmetrical;
• mode 1212123 is asymmetrical. Its inverted form is indicated by a reversal of the 7-digit
code: 2121213.

Yin-Yang pairs

12 of the permutations make up a special group of 24 sets that form Ying-yang pairs related by the
fact that sequences of resultant intervals are in retrograde order. The next example shows two Yin-
yang pairs related in this way as well as by 1/5 interval reversal:

Example 2:

The yin-yang pairs fall into three groups related by 1/5 interval reversal. The sets are not intrinsically
fractal in construction. Rather their fractal nature lies in their potential for use in the formation of
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fractal structures. As we shall see these yin-yang pairs are crucial to the formation of extended
fractal patterns and will form the main focus of this paper.

Operands and multipliers

The simplest type of fractal structure consists of an operand and a multiplier. In the following
example Yin set 314256 is the multiplier and its Yang pair 563241 is the operand. The structure
consist different length fragments of the multiplier. Each one begins on the final pitch of the
preceding fragment:

Example 3:

We can reverse the process with the Yang set as multiplier and the Yin set as operand:

Example 4:

The process gives rise to two different numerical rhythmic sequences. When the Yin set is the
multiplier the rhythmic sequence is 631245. When the Yang set is the multiplier the sequence is
623514. (NB the rhythmic sequence will be same if partial inversions are used)

We can perform this process with all 12 Yin-Yang pairs with interesting results. The twelve Yin-Yang
pairs fall into three groups of four. The two examples above belong to group 1 of the Yin-yang pairs.
We note that both patterns using Yin sets as multipliers share the rhythmic pattern 631245, while
those using Yang sets as multipliers share the pattern 623514.

Example 5: Group 1:

In group 2, patterns with Yin-set multipliers give rise to the same rhythmic sequence as group 1
(631245) but the Yang-set multipliers produce a new rhythmic pattern: 613524.
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Example 6: Group 2:

In group 3, the same two rhythmic sequences occur as in group 1, but their positions are reversed.
The Yin-set patterns produce the rhythmic sequence 623514 while the Yang-set patterns produce
the rhythmic sequence 631245. The total number of beats always adds up to 21.

Example 7: Group 3:

It turns out that if simple fractal patterns are created in this way using the Yin-yang pairs, only these
four rhythmic sequences will occur. A certain amount of melodic variation can be achieved by
substituting partial inversions, but the rhythmic sequences will always be the same.

Multiple fractal structures

It is possible to create more complex patterns by using a complete phase of 21 beats as a multiplier
on a higher-order operand. The following example is based on the Yin set belonging to group 1.
Originally the multiplier was the Yin set 314256 and the operand was the Yang set 563241. But now
the Yang set 563241, marked by the initial pitch of each bar, becomes the multiplier for a higher
order operand in the form of Yin set 314256 marked by the initial pitch at each double bar-line.
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Example 8:

The original rhythmic sequence 623514 is preserved as a bar-count but there is now a new rhythmic
sequence created by adding together the total number of beats in each phase:

6+3+1+2+4+5 = 21
6+3 =9
6+3+1 = 10
6+3+1+2+4 = 16
6 =6
6+3+1+2 = 12 Total =74

This process can be repeated indefinitely adding higher and higher-order patterns of alternating yin
and yang multipliers and operands. Each level produces a new extended rhythmic sequence. The
next level, with the yang set as operand, produces the following rhythmic sequence:

21+9+10+16+6+12 = 74
21+9+10 = 40
21 = 21
21+9 = 30
21+9+10+16 = 56
21+9+10+16+6 = 62 Total =283

Stepping up yet another level where the yin set will be the operand, the following rhythmic
sequence is created:

74+40+21+30+56+62 = 283
74+40 = 114
74+40+21 = 135
74+40+21+30+56 = 221
74 = 74
74+40+21+30 = 165 Total =992

In theory there is no limit to the number of times this process can be repeated adding higher and
higher-order patterns of alternating yin and yang multipliers and operands, a process that extends to
infinity with ever larger numerical values. The reverse process is also possible. The initial yin
multiplier can be divided by its yang pair which then becomes the multiplier of a lower-order
structure. This process too can continue without limit towards infinity.
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Arithmetic progressions

As we saw there are four different rhythmic sequences produced by the operation of the yin-yang
pairs. Each of them can be expanded to produce a similar but slightly different numerical sequence.
If they are arranged in numerical order, they provide a graduated sequence of time proportions that
can be used in musical composition in a way that is analogous to some composers’ use of the
Fibonacci numbers. It is interesting to examine how the two systems compare.

All five sequences are examples of quasi-geometric progressions, that is an arithmetic progression
which approximates closely to a geometric one. The Fibonacci series proceeds in whole-number
steps such that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, starting from 1 and 2. After
the initial three linear steps ̶ 1, 2, 3 ̶ it quickly becomes a close approximation to a geometric
progression based on the Golden Mean proportion, an irrational number which may be expressed as
1.618033… It is perhaps best known as the modulor of architect Le Corbusier. It also approximates to
a geometric progression based on the ratio 5/8.

The four progressions produced by manipulation of Yin-Yang All-interval fractal sets also begin with a
series of linear steps: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Thereafter they expand in a somewhat erratic way which
nevertheless approximates very closely to a geometric progression based on the proportion 3/4.
Comparing graphs of the 5/8 progression and the 3/4 progression, we can see that the Fibonacci
series expands more quickly than the Fractal progressions. It is interesting to note that as well as the
numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5, the Fibonacci series shares the number 21 with the fractal progressions.

Series 1 Series 2 Series 3 Series 4 Series 5 Series 6

Fibonacci 314256 563241 352416 563421 3/4 geometric

1 1 1 1 1 1.00
2 2 2 2 2 1.33
3 3 3 3 3 1.78
5 4 4 4 4 2.37
8 5 5 5 5 3.16
13 6 6 6 6 4.21
21 9 8 9 7 5.62
34 10 11 10 10 7.49
55 12 16 12 15 9.99
89 16 17 16 17 13.32
144 21 21 21 21 17.76
233 30 32 27 31 23.68
377 40 38 37 37 31.57
56 46 53 44 42.09
62 62 62 59 56.12
74 79 74 76 74.83
114 111 111 97 99.77
135 149 132 134 133.03
165 211 159 193 177.38
221 232 212 224 236.50
283 278 274 268 315.34
357 357 348 344 420.45
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450

400

350
Series1
300
Series2
250
Series3
200
Series4
150 Series5
100 Series6
50

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Compositional Applications of Multiple Fractal Structures

Almost all my compositions since 2010 have employed all-interval fractal sets at microcosmic and
macrocosmic level using the proportions generated by multiple structural levels. Two works in
particular exemplify this particularly well. My String Quartet (2011) is in six linked movements. The
opening paragraph, a duet between two violins, presents an interlocking Yin-Yang complimentary
pair, 154632 and 321645, as joint multipliers on the Yin set as the operand:

Example 9:

This passage is the first of 21 paragraphs that make up the 1st movement. They fall into six larger
sections each consisting of different numbers of paragraphs. Example 10 shows Yang set 154632 as
operand for the whole first section up to bar 55, spanning interval 3 (a minor third).
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Example 10:

Example 11 shows the macrocosmic structure of the work. The Yang set provides the pivotal notes
marking the six movements while different-length fragments of the Yin set mark the major sections
of each movement. Example 10 fits into the initial interval 3 up to bar 55. Bar numbers refer to the
full score which may be viewed online along with a sound recording at the British Music Collection1.

Example 11:

The actual length of the movements appears to deviate from the proportions implied in example 11.
This is because the depth of recursion varies from one movement to another. For instance, although
the fifth movement appears to be a singularity, in fact it is an extended development subdivided into
six sections using the Ying set. On the other hand, the fourth movement, a kind of experiment in
multiple time levels, has only six brief paragraphs based on the Yin set.

The violin sonata “Persistence of Memory” written for Madeleine Mitchell and Geoffrey Poole, also
has six movements. This time there is systematic recursion to three fractal levels in all six
movements. The first is the level of motivic detail usually embellished with ornamentation and
harmony. The second is the sequence of melodic phrases within each paragraph of the music. The
third is the sequence of paragraphs that makes up the form of each movement. The sonata as a
whole presents a fourth fractal layer in which the initial pitch of each of the six movements spells
out the Yin set F D C D A C G. In this case the relative proportions of each section have been
equalised by using several different sets as multipliers and operands.

The overall structure of the work is presented in microcosm in the violin solo that opens the first
movement. Six-note phrases predict the contour of each of the movements in turn. The notes of the
Yin set F D C D A C G (321645) are spelt out as the first note of each bar. 321645 and 154632 are
a Yin-Yang complimentary pair.2

1
https://britishmusiccollection.org.uk/score/string-quartet-2011
2
https://britishmusiccollection.org.uk/score/persistence-memory-0
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Example 12:

The structure of the entire work is represented in example 13. The notes of the opening six-bar
phrase (example 12) act as pivots marking the beginning and ending of each movement and of each
section of each movement. Movements have either five or six sections. The opening 6-bar phrase is
the first section of the first movement. The music progresses as a series of variations on this opening
theme.

We note how the semi-tonal motif F to G recurs at different levels of the structure:
• As the first musical gesture of the work; as the last idea of the opening theme;
• As the interval spanned in the first section of the first movement;
• As the interval spanned by the entire work.
• The sixth section of the sixth movement is a reiteration of the opening theme so that the
work ends on the same open G string, giving meaning to the title “The Persistence of
Memory”.

Example 13:

Dr. Jolyon Laycock, May 2020