A pitch can be heard even when only its higher harmonics are present

Evidence

Using sirens, in 1841 he discovered the residue pitch effect wherein a pitch of frequency f is heard even though the only partials present are higher harmonics of f. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 2039

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the residue pitch (or missing fundamental) effect as a precise claim, which is central to the ‘are we Fourier analyzers’ question.
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: what mechanism extracts f from only its higher harmonics? This is the classic ‘missing fundamental’ mystery.
• ADDENDUM: A plausible model of how we infer pitch from partials rather than a Fourier-resolvable fundamental ties into general questions of perceptual inference.
• XREF: connects to: The kettledrum outputs a missing-harmonic series yet still conveys a clear pitch — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1306