Concept
Sine wave
Related concepts (32)
Spatial frequency
In mathematics, physics, and engineering, spatial frequency is a characteristic of any structure that is periodic across position in space. The spatial frequency is a measure of how often sinusoidal components (as determined by the Fourier transform) of the structure repeat per unit of distance. The SI unit of spatial frequency is cycles per meter (m). In applications, spatial frequency is often expressed in units of cycles per millimeter (mm) or equivalently per mm. In wave propagation, the spatial frequency is also known as wavenumber.
Negative frequency
In mathematics, signed frequency (negative and positive frequency) expands upon the concept of frequency, from just an absolute value representing how often some repeating event occurs, to also have a positive or negative sign representing one of two opposing orientations for occurrences of those events. The following examples help illustrate the concept: For a rotating object, the absolute value of its frequency of rotation indicates how many rotations the object completes per unit of time, while the sign could indicate whether it is rotating clockwise or counterclockwise.