noun
-
physicsa disturbance that travels through space and matter in a regular, oscillating pattern.
A wave is a disturbance that travels through space and matter in a regular, oscillating pattern. Waves can manifest as physical waves (sound waves, water waves) or electromagnetic waves (light waves, radio waves).
In mathematics, a wave is often conceptualized as a periodic oscillation and can be represented by various functions, most commonly the sine and cosine functions.
The sine function returns the sine of a number provided in radians. In geometric terms, the function returns the vertical component of the point formed by the angle on the unit circle.
The cosine function returns the cosine of an angle provided in radians. In geometric terms, the function returns the ratio of the right triangle's adjacent side over its hypotenuse.