Precalculus: Periodic Functions

In this course, we expand our collection of functions which we can use to model by studying periodic functions. Periodic functions are functions whose graphs repeat themselves after a certain point. It is natural to study periodic functions as many natural phenomena are repetitive or cyclical: the motion of the planets in our solar system, days of the week, seasons, and the natural rhythm of the heart. Thus, the functions introduced in this course add considerably to our ability to model physical processes. In this module, we begin by learning methods of measuring angles.

Many common phenomena have oscillatory or periodic behavior. To model this behavior requires an understanding of functions that exhibit periodic behavior like sine, cosine, and tangent. These functions are introduced using right triangles in this module, which then lets us explore their algebraic relations.

Sine and cosine are now introduced using the unit circle, which is the circle centered at the origin with radius one. This definition of our key periodic functions extends the definition originally introduced with right triangles.

The most basic periodic functions, sine and cosine, were defined for all real numbers. We now study their quotients and reciprocals. However, care must be taken to ensure we do not divide by zero. In this module, we will complete our catalog of periodic functions