harmonic series


nounMathematics.
  1. a series in which the reciprocals of the terms form an arithmetic progression.

  2. the divergent infinite series, 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/4 + 1/5 + . . . .

Origin of harmonic series

1
First recorded in 1865–70

Words Nearby harmonic series

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How to use harmonic series in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for harmonic series

harmonic series

noun
  1. maths a series whose terms are in harmonic progression, as in 1 + 1/2 + 1/3 + …

  2. acoustics the series of tones with frequencies strictly related to one another and to the fundamental tone, as obtained by touching lightly the node points of a string while playing it. Its most important application is in the playing of brass instruments

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for harmonic series

harmonic series

  1. A series whose terms are in harmonic progression, especially the series 1 + 12 + 13 + 14 + .... and so on.

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