In mathematics and physics, a solitary wave can refer to
- The solitary wave (water waves) or wave of translation, as observed by John Scott Russell in 1834, the prototype for a soliton.
- A soliton, a generalization of the wave of translation to general systems of partial differential equations
- A topological defect, a generalization of the idea of a soliton to any system which is stable against decay due to homotopy theory
Famous quotes containing the words solitary and/or wave:
“In this country, don’t forget, a habit is no damn private hell. There’s no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country it’s the worst kind of hell for those who love you.”
—Billie Holiday (1915–1959)
“The wave of evil washes all our institutions alike.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)