computer science

Kees van Prooijen

Kees van Prooijen is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Kees van Prooijen rather than just read about it. In short: Kees (Cornelis) van Prooijen (born 7 August 1952) is a creator of computer art. Although it does not bear his name, he independently discovered the Bohlen–Pierce scale, a non-octave-repeating scale based on the tritave and spectra containing odd harmonics, in 1978.

Key takeaways

Kees van Prooijen belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kees van Prooijen to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kees van Prooijen from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kees (Cornelis) van Prooijen (born 7 August 1952) is a creator of computer art. Although it does not bear his name, he independently discovered the Bohlen–Pierce scale, a non-octave-repeating scale based on the tritave and spectra containing odd harmonics, in 1978. Van Prooijen came across the scale through an investigation of continued fractions. He also invented the Kees height, or an "expressibility" measure for complexity of just intonation pitch classes.

Sources

Further reading Wolfgang Auhagen, ed. (2005). Science and Music: The Impact of Music: Leopoldina Symposium, Halle/Saale, May 13 to 15, 2004, p. 14. Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina. ISBN 9783804722378.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kees van Prooijen

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kees van Prooijen claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kees van Prooijen before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kees van Prooijen ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kees van Prooijen

In research: Kees van Prooijen appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kees van Prooijen in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kees van Prooijen is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1952 births, Computer scientist stubs, Dutch digital artists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kees van Prooijen outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Kees van Prooijen in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kees van Prooijen means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kees van Prooijen out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kees van Prooijen in simple terms?

Why does Kees van Prooijen matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kees van Prooijen?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kees van Prooijen.