9 MODELING PERIODIC SYSTEMS
Calculus is the mathematics that lets us see how systems move and change. In the last chapter, we looked at things that grew (or died away) with distance, time, or some other variable. Many other systems, though, are periodic: their motion repeats over and over. Planets orbiting around the sun, or the regular swing of a pendulum, are examples of these predictable motions. More subtly, the natural cycles of the number of predators and prey in a field repeats over and over, but in a more complex way.
In this chapter, first we learn more about the math of the most basic repeating systems, those with behaviors over time that trace out sine and cosine curves. We show you how to make a few simple models out of stuff from ...
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