nLab oscillation

An oscillation is a periodic motion. In other words it is a solution of equations of motion that is a periodic function of time with a fixed period TT. One also talks about slight generalizations of this definition, like damped? oscillations and so on.

A wave is a transportation of oscillations in medium, in other words a disturbance of a medium periodic in time (for a fixed point) and propagation in physical space?.

Cf. quasinormal mode.

Last revised on January 12, 2013 at 03:52:05. See the history of this page for a list of all contributions to it.