In physics, mathematics, engineering, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance of one or more quantities
. A wave can be described as a disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another location
. Waves come in two kinds, longitudinal and transverse. Transverse waves are like those on water, with the surface going up and down, and longitudinal waves are like sound waves, consisting of alternating compressions and rarefactions of the medium
. Waves transfer energy, not matter. Matter doesn’t move along with a wave, but the energy in the wave does move along
. Waves are often described by a wave equation or a one-way wave equation for single wave propagation in a defined direction
. Waves can be periodic, meaning they oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium value at some frequency, or non-periodic
