Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Mathematics/2014 December 31

= December 31 =

Sinusoidal phase angle
In the article "Phase (waves)", it states that a phase is "the initial angle of a sinusoidal function at its origin". Does this mean gradient at x=0 or something different? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Demiseofanalog (talk • contribs) 22:24, 31 December 2014 (UTC)


 * I added a title. StuRat (talk) 23:05, 31 December 2014 (UTC)
 * Something different. In $$f(x)=\sin(\omega x+\varphi)$$, the phase is $$\varphi$$ - that is, when $$x=0$$, the sine function is taken on an angle of $$\varphi$$. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 00:39, 1 January 2015 (UTC)
 * "angle" in this context means the argument of the trigonometric function, not the slope of the graph. -- ToE 14:24, 1 January 2015 (UTC)