The solutions of the continuity equation and the equations of motion of the flow in the vicinity of a rotating disk have been established for an Ostwald fluid under steady-state conditions and in modulated flow around a mean value. Under steady-state conditions, the kinematics of the flow is scarcely dependent on the rheological parameters close to the disk, however, for n < 1 long-range effects have been put forward. For modulated flow, in the high-frequency range, a behaviour very different from that observed for a Newtonian fluid was found. In the low-frequency range an asymptotic solution has been proposed which is of special interest in mass transfer problems.