Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

A periodic function is a mathematical function whose values repeat at regular intervals. This repetition is called periodicity. The length of the interval over which the function's values repeat is known as its period.12

The graph of a periodic function is a curve that is formed by the continuous repetition of a specific part of itself. These functions are fundamental in describing phenomena that occur cyclically, such as waves, oscillations, and rotations. For instance, the motion of a pendulum or the orbit of a planet around the sun are examples of periodic motion, which can be mathematically represented using periodic functions.342

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.