Notes

Chapter 4: Systems Based on Numbers

Section 6: Mathematical Functions


Three sine functions

All zeros of the function Sin[a x] + Sin[b x]

Sin[a x] + Sin[b x] lie on the real axis. But for Sin[a x] + Sin[b x] + Sin[c x]
Sin[a x] + Sin[b x] + Sin[c x]
, there are usually zeros off the real axis (even say for a = 1
a = 1
, b = 3/2
b = 3/2
, c = 5/3
c = 5/3
), as shown in the pictures below.

If a, b and c are rational, Sin[a x] + Sin[b x] + Sin[c x]

Sin[a x] + Sin[b x] + Sin[c x] is periodic with period 2 π /GCD[a, b, c]
2 π /GCD[a, b, c]
, and there are a limited number of different spacings between zeros. But in a case like Sin[x] + Sin[2 x] + Sin[3 x]
Sin[x]+Sin[\!\(\*SqrtBox[\(2\)]\)x]+Sin[\!\(\*SqrtBox[\(3\)]\)x]
there is a continuous distribution of spacings between zeros, as shown on a logarithmic scale below. (For 0 < x < 106
0\[RawLess]x\[RawLess]\!\(\*SuperscriptBox[\(10\),\(6\)]\)
there are a total of 448,494 zeros, with maximum spacing 4.6
≃4.6
and minimum spacing 0.013
≃0.013
.)

From Stephen Wolfram: A New Kind of Science [citation]