Yeah, you are right, for some. But actually, for some others, it was a serious spiritual journey. Like for George Crumb! (way into numerology- used it in Ancient Voices, Black Angels and other pieces- yeikes!- but some people dig this-- remember though, some people also dig a good seance or a good horoscope you know?)
https://music7703lsu.wordpress.com/2017/03/12/liturgical-num...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11o8nHk-l_o
Also- look into Webern's beliefs about numbers. He was really driven/controlled by this superstition. There is certainly a tradition of just this kind of spirituality that is alive in jazz today. Sun Ra was all about this spirituality without the math stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djBKQNVj5Cc
Anyhow, computers had a lot to do with this math obsession in 20th century music composition.
And Ornette? Was he about math at all? I may not know about this. For me, having played a lot of his music, I'd say that his music is a music-of-the-people, and much more about folk music than jazz, although he's of course a great jazz musician. One of the greatest, and maybe because of this fact. He had confidence in the simplicity of his ideas. He didn't seem out to prove anything to anyone. Harmelodics has absolutely nothing to do with mathematical relationships or theory. It's all about each bringing what they think to a melody. (in very short, here) But if he was about math, I just don't know it. Please tell me, so I can look into it.