Kõikumised

Kõikumised is the Estonian term for oscillations or fluctuations. In science and everyday language, it refers to the repeated movement or variation of a quantity around a central value, which may be regular (periodic) or irregular.

In physics, oscillations arise in systems that exchange energy between different forms, such as a mass on a spring or an electrical LC circuit. Simple harmonic motion is a basic model with constant amplitude and period; real systems exhibit damping, which gradually reduces amplitude, and resonance, where small driving forces produce large responses at specific frequencies.

In statistics and econometrics, fluctuations describe deviations from a trend, including seasonal variations and business cycles. Climate science notes oscillations such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation. In biology, oscillations appear in circadian rhythms and ecological cycles such as predator–prey population dynamics.

Mathematically, oscillation can describe a function's behavior near a point, or the decomposition of signals into waves using Fourier analysis. Key terms include amplitude, frequency and phase.

Measurement of oscillations often involves time series data, spectrum analysis, and damping characteristics. The concept is widely used across disciplines to model, analyze and predict periodic behavior and fluctuations.