TeXipedia

theta

Represents a commonly used angle variable in mathematics, geometry, and physics applications.

Overview

A fundamental Greek letter extensively used across mathematical and scientific disciplines to denote angles, phases, and rotational quantities.

  • Essential in trigonometry for expressing angular measurements and relationships
  • Frequently appears in physics equations, particularly in mechanics and wave theory
  • Common in spherical coordinates and polar coordinate systems
  • Used in complex analysis to represent arguments of complex numbers
  • Appears regularly in statistical distributions and probability theory

Examples

Angle in a right triangle using theta for trigonometric calculations.

sin⁡θ=oppositehypotenuse\sin \theta = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{hypotenuse}} 
\sin \theta = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{hypotenuse}}

Phase angle in polar coordinates representation.

z=r(cos⁡θ+isin⁡θ)z = r(\cos \theta + i\sin \theta) 
z = r(\cos \theta + i\sin \theta)

Angular velocity in physics equations.

ω=dθdt\omega = \frac{d\theta}{dt} 
\omega = \frac{d\theta}{dt}