The modal decomposition of vibration resisted even brilliant thinkers historically.

Evidence

The notion of simultaneous vibration of many modes of the same object, each with a shape and frequency of its own, was a difficult concept for some very smart people, partly because the notion of individual pure modes was not well understood. The motion can look complicated, making it difficult to accept that it is the sum of much simpler oscillations that are sinusoidal in time. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 871

Categorization

• QUESTION: Who were the ‘very smart people’ who struggled with the mode concept, and what convinced them? Worth chasing for a historical angle on auditory science.