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XII. On the resultant

of a large number of
vibrations of the same
pitch and of arbitrary
phase
a
Lord Rayleigh F.R.S.
a
University of Cambridge
Version of record first published: 28 Apr
2009.

To cite this article: Lord Rayleigh F.R.S. (1880): XII. On the resultant of
a large number of vibrations of the same pitch and of arbitrary phase ,
Philosophical Magazine Series 5, 10:60, 73-78

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 THE
LONDON, EDII~BURGH, X~D D U B L I N

PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE
&ND

JOURNAL OF SCIENCE.
[ F I F T H SERIES.]
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AUGUST 1880.

XII. On the Resultant of a large Number of Vibrations of the

same _Pitch and of arbitrary Phase. B y LORD RAYLEIG~,
F.R.S., Professor of Experimental Physics in the University
of Cambridge*.
ERDETTt , in an investigation upon this subject, has
V arri~ ed at the conclusion that the resultant of n vibra-
tions of unit amplitude and arbitrary phase approaches the
definite value a/n when n is very great. It can be shown:~,
however, that this conclusion is inaccurate, and that the result-
ant tends to no definite value, however great the number of
components may be.
But there is a modified form of the question, which admits
of a definite answer, and was perhaps vaguely before ¥erdet's
mind. If we inquire what is the average intensity in a great
number of cases, or, in the language of the theory of probabi-
lities, what is the expectation of intensity in a single case of
composition, we shall find that the result is that assigned by
Verdet~ namely n.
A simple but instructive variation of the problem may be
obtained by snpposing the possible phases limited to two oppo-
site phases, in which case it is convenient to discard the idea
of phase altogether, and to regard the amplitudes as at ran-
dom positive or negative. If all the signs are the same, the
resultant intensity is uP; if, on the other hand, there are as
many positive as negative, the result is zero. But although
the intensity may range from 0 to n 2, the smaller values are
much more probable than the greater ; and to calculate the ex-
* Communicated by the Author.
t ZeqonsarOptiquephysique,t. i. p. 297.
Math. Soc. Proc. May 1871.
_Phil. May. S. 5. Vol. 10. No. 60. Aug. 1880. G
 74 Lord Rayleigh on the Resultant of a large Number of
pectation of intensity, these different degrees of probability
must be taken into account. By well-known rules the expres-
sion for the expectation is
n(n-- 1) 2
~{1.n'+n.(n--2)'+ -~:~ (n--4)

}
The value of the series~ which is to be continued so long as
the terms are finite, is simply n, as may be proved by compa-
rison of coefficients of x 2 in the equivalent forms
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(e+ e-.)"=2"(l + ~.2+... )-

=e'~d-ne('-')'+n~-~51)e('-')'+
....
The expectation of intensity is therefore n, and this whether n
be great or small.
In the more general problem, where the phases are distri-
buted at random over the complete period~ the expression for
the expectation of intensity is

•/o
I ] I.~o ,~o • o .
27r 2~" 2¢r . . ,
[(c°sO+c°sO~+c°sOH+'")2
+ (sin 0 + sin 0' + sin 0f' + . . . )3].
If we effect the integration with respect to 0, we get
',~f2,,dOrdO 'r
•~o "'" 2~r 2~" . . . . [-1 + (cos Or+ cos 0 ~ + . . . )~
+ (sin 0' + sin 0/r + . . . ) 2 ] .
Continuing the process by successive integrations with respect
to 0~, O~l~... ~ we see that, as before~ the expectation of inten-
sity is n.
So far there is no difficulty; but a complete investigation
of this subject involves an estimate of the relative probabilities
of resultants lying between assigned limits of magnitude. For
example, we ought to be able to say what is the probability
that the intensity due to a large number (n) of equal compo-
nents is less than ~n. It will be convenient to begin by
taking the problem under the restriction that the phases are of
two opposite kinds only. When this has been dealt with, we
shall not find much difficulty in extending our investigation
to phases entirely arbitrary.
By Bernoulli's theorem* we find that the probability that
Todhunter's ~l:Iistory of the Theory of Probability~' § 993.
 Vibrations of the same _Pitch and of arbitrary _Phase. 75
of n vibrations, which are at random positive or negative, the
number of positive vibrations lies between
{n--T~/(~n) and ½n+T~/(½n)
is~ when n is great~

72o
whore r - - r ~ / ( 2 n ) , and r must not surpass ~/n in order of
magnitude. In the extreme cases the amplitude is +__2T~/(~n),
and the intensity is 2T~n. Thus, if we put T----~, we see thai
the chance of intensity less than ~n is
2 /'=t
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~!^ e-*~dt--'5205 ;
so that however great n may be~ there is always more than an
even chance that the intensity will be less than -~n. This, of
course, is inconsistent with any such tendency to close upon
the value n as Yerdet supposes.
From the tables of the definite integra]~ given in De Mor-
gan's ~ Differential Calculus,' p. 657, we may find the proba-
bilities of intensities less than any assigned values. The pro-
bility of intensity less than i n is "2764.
Again, the chance that in a series n the number of positive
vibrations lies between
~n+T~/(~n) and ½ n + ( T + $ T ) C ( ~ n )
is
mre- ~ ~-r~
which expresses accordingly the chance of a positive amplitude
lying between
2T~/(+n) and 2(T-i-Sw)~/(½n).
Let these limits be called x and x+Sx, so that T=x/+/(2n);
then the chance of amplitude between x and x + 8x is
1 ~*
~/(27rn)
The expectation of intensity is expressed by
1 ['+oo ,~
~ / ( 2 ~ ) 2 - ~ e- ~ x~ dx = n,
as before.
It will be convenient in what follows to consider the vibra-
tions to be represented by lines (of unit length) drawn from a
fixed poin~ O~ the intersection of rectangular axes 0 x and 0j/.
G2
 76 Lord Rayleigh on the Resultant o f a large Number of
If n of these lines be taken at random in the directions ± x ,
the probability of resultants also along + x , and of various
magnitudes, is given by preceding expres~ons. We will now
suppose that ~n are distributed at random along ± x , and ~n
along ±y~ and inquire into the probabilities of the various
resultants. The probability that the end of the representative
line, or, as we may consider it, the representative point, lies in
the rectangle d x dy is evidently
1 z2q-#~
-- e- -~- dx dy.
~rn

Substituting polar coordinates r, 0 and integrating with

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respect to 0, we see that the probability of the representative

point of the resultant lying between the circles r and r + dr is
2-ff .
--e nrar,
n

This is therefore the probability of a resultant vibration with

amplitude between the values r and r + dr. In this case there
are n components distributed in four rectangular directions;
and we have supposed that ~n exactly are distributed along
± x , and ~n along + y . It is important to remove this restric-
tion, and to show th-at the result is the same when the distri-
bution is perfectly arbitrary in respect to all four directions.
In order to see this, let us suppose that ~ n + m are distri-
buted along ± x and ~ n - - m along ± y , and imagine how far
the result is influenced by the value of m. The chance of the
representative point of the resultant lying in the rectangle
dx dy is now expressed by
1 ~2 ~2
~r~/(n~--4m 2) e .+2~, ,,-~,,,dx dy
1 n(x2"{-Y2)'l-2m(y2--~¢2)
-- r ~/ (n~_4m~) e n2--4:/~2 - dx dy
nr~ 2~ar2
. . . . CO~ 20
~ r~/(n,2_4m~) e ,~-4m2 e ,2-4~ rdrdO.
Also
yo2~r 2 m r 2 cos20 ( ~2r4 }
e-~dO=~r~ 1+ (n~_4,~)~ ~... ,
as we find on expanding the exponential and integrating.
Thus the chance of the representative point lying between the
circles r and r + dr is
~r2 /2r4
,/(~_4,n~) e (,~ _ ~,~,)2 + . . .
 Vibrations of the same Pitch and of arbitrary Phase. 77
Now, if the distribution be entirely at random, all the values
of m of which there is a finite probability are of order not
higher than J n , n being treated as infinite. But if m be of
this order, the above expression is the same as if m were zero,
and thus it makes no difference whether the numbers of com-
ponents along -4-x and along +_y are limited to be equal or
not. The previous result, viz.
r2
2 e--~ rdr,
n

is accordingly applicable to a thoroughly arbitrary distribution

among the four rectangular directions.
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The next point to notice is that the result is symmetrical,

and independent of the direction of the axes, so long as they
are rectangular, from which we may conclude that it has a
still higher generality. I f a total of n components, to be dis-
tributed along one set of rectangular axes, be divided into any
number of groups, it makes no difference whether we first
obtain the probabilities of various resultants of the groups
separately and afterwards of the final resultant, or whether we
regard the whole n as one group. But the resultant of each
group is the same, notwithstanding a change in the system of
rectangular axes; so that the probabilities of various resultants
are unaltered, whether we suppose the whole number of com-
ponents restricted to one set of rectangular axes or divided in
any manner between any number of sets of axes. This last
state of things, however, is equivalent to no restriction at all;
and we thus arrive at the important conclusion that, if n unit
vibrations of equal pitch and of arbitrary phases be com-
pounded, the probability of a resultant intermediate in ampli-
tude between r and r + dr is
2 _d .
- e ~ r at,
n
a similar result applying, of course, in the case of any other
vector quantities.
The probability of a resultant of amplitude less than r is

e--~ r dr-----I--e-; ;

or, which is the same thing, the probability of a resultant

greater than r is
r2
e-~-.
The following table gives the probabilities of intensities less
 78 On tl~e R e s u l t a n t o f a large N u m b e r o f Vibrations.
than the fractions of n named in the l~l"St column. For ex-
am ?le, the probability of intensity less than n is '6321.

•05 "0488 "80 '5506

•10 "0952 1"00 "632l
"20 "1813 1"50 "7768
•40 "3296 2"00 "8647
'60 "4512 3"00 "9502

It will be seen that, however great n may be, there is a rea-

sonable chance of considerable relative fluctuations of intensity
in consecutive trials.
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The average intensity, expressed by

- e - 7 . r ~. r dr~
n

is, as we have seen already, equal to n.

I f the amplitude of each component be a, instead of unity,
as we have hitherto supposed for brevity, the probability of a
resultant amplitude between r and r + d r is
2 r~
n .~ e - ~2 r dr.

The result is therefore in all respects the same as if, for ex-
ample, the amplitude of the components had been ½a and their
number equal to 4n. From this we see that the law is not
altered, even if the components have different amplitudes,
provided always that the whole number of each kind is very
great; so that if there be n components of amplitude a, n I of
amplitude p, and so on, the probability of a resultant between
r and r + d r is
2 r2
nct2+n',~2-i'',. r d r .
~ a "~+ n~fl ~ + . . .
The conclusion that the resultant of a large number of in-
dependent sounds is practically, and to a considerable extent~
uncertain may appear paradoxical ; but its truth, I imagine,
cannot be disputed. Perhaps even the appearance of paradox
will be removed if we remember that with two sounds of equal
intensity the degree of uncertainty is far greater, as is evi-
denced in the familiar experiment with tuning-forks in ap-
proximate unison. That the beats should not be altogether
obliterated by a multiplication of sources can hardly be thought
surprising.
June 1880.