FOURIER SERIES

4.1 PERIODIC FUNCTIONS

We consider the waveforms of
y = A cos wt and y = A sin wt .
For these waveforms, w is the angular frequency. Then the period,
2p 1 w
T= and the frequency, f = = .
w T 2p

If we introduce phase angle, f , then

y = A cos(wt + f ) and y = A sin(wt + f )
Since,
æ fö
y = A cos(wt + f ) = A cos w ç t + ÷
è wø
æ fö
y = A sin(wt + f ) = A sin w ç t + ÷
è wø
f
the quantity is called the time displacement.
w
The sine and cosine functions form a class of functions known as sinusoids or
harmonics.

4.2 ODD AND EVEN FUNCTIONS

If f (-t ) = f (t ) , then f is an even function.
If f (-t ) = - f (t ) , then f is an odd function.

Example 1 Determine whether the following function is odd, even or neither

odd nor even.
(a) f (t ) = t 2 (b) g (t ) = t 3 (c) h( t ) = t 2 - 2t + 1
(d) k (t ) = 7 (e) l (t ) = sin 3t (f) m(t ) = cos 3t

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 Solution
(a) f (-t ) = (-t ) 2 = t 2 = f (t )
Thus f (t ) is an even function.

(b) g (-t ) = (-t ) 3 = - f (t )

Thus g (t ) is an odd function.

(c) h(-t ) = (-t ) 2 - 2(-t ) + 1 = t 2 + 2t + 1 ¹ h(t )

¹ -h(t )
Thus h(t ) is neither odd nor even.
(d) k (-t ) = 7 = k (t )
Thus k (t ) is an even function.
(e) l (-t ) = sin 3(-t ) = - sin 3t = -l (t )
Thus l (t ) is an odd function.
(f) m(-t ) = cos 3(-t ) = cos 3t = m(t )
Thus m(t ) is an even function.

Properties
(even) x (even) = (even)
(odd) x (odd) = (even)
(even) x (odd) = (odd)

4.2.1 Integral properties of odd and even functions

Example 1 Evaluate
2 2

ò t dt òt dt
3 2
(a) (b)
-2 -2

Solution

2
 2
2
ét 4 ù
ò-2 t dt = ê4ú =0
3
(a)
ë û -2

2 2
16
òt dt = 2 ò t 2 dt =
2
(b)
-2 0
3

Generally:
(a) If f is odd, then
a

ò f (t )dt =0
-a

(b) If f is even, then

a a

ò
-a
f (t )dt = 2ò f (t )dt
0

Example 2 Use the properties of odd and even functions to evaluate

p p
(a) ò t cos tdt
-p
(b) ò t sin tdt
-p

Solution
(a) Since t is odd and cos t is even, then t cos t is odd. Then
p

ò t cos tdt = 0
-p

(b) Since t is odd and sin t is odd, then t sin t is even. Then
p p

ò t sin tdt = 2ò t sin tdt

-p 0

So, integrating by parts,

p p p
2ò t sin tdt = 2ò td (- cos t ) = -2[t cos t ] + 2ò cos tdt
p
0
0 0 0

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 = -2(p cos p - 0 cos 0) + 2[sin t ]0
p

= -2(-p ) + 2(0 - 0) = 2p

Exercises 4.2
Use the properties of odd and even function to evaluate the following integrals.
5 p p

òt dt òt sin 2tdt ò t cos 2tdt

3 2
1. 2. 3.
-5 -p -p

1 4 3
4. ò t dt
-1
5. ò t tdt
-4
6. ò t cosh 4tdt
-3

Evaluate the following integrals.

1 1 1
npt
7. ò cos nptdt
-1
8. ò cos
0
2
dt 9. ò sin nptdt
-1

1 1 0
npt
10. ò0 sin 2 dt 11. ò cos 2npdt
0
12. ò cos nptdt
-1

4.3 FOURIER SERIES

Suppose the function f (t ) is defined in the interval - T / 2 < t < T / 2 and is periodic with
period T . Then, under certain conditions, its Fourier series representation is given by
¥
1
f (t ) = a 0 + å (a n cos nwt + bn sin nwt ) (1)
2 n =1

where
T /2
2
T -Tò/ 2
a0 = f (t )dt

T /2
2
T -Tò/ 2
an = f (t ) cos nwtdt

T /2
2
T -Tò/ 2
bn = f (t ) sin nwtdt

for n = 1,2,3...
The last three integrals are called the Fourier coefficients.

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Equation (1) can be expanded:
1
f (t ) = a 0 + a1 cos wt + a 2 cos 2wt + a 3 cos 3wt + ...
2 (2)
+ b1 sin wt + b2 cos 2wt + b3 cos 3wt + ...

The angular frequency, w , can be calculated using the relation

2p
w=
T
The above three integrals can also be evaluated over any complete period, for example
[0, T ], [T ,2T ] and so on.

Example 1 Find the Fourier representation of the function with period 2 given by
ì1 0 £ t <1
f (t ) = í
î0 1£ t < 2

f (t )

t
0 1 2

Solution First, we calculate the Fourier coefficients.

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 2p
Since T = 2, we have w = = p.
2
Now
2 1 2
2
a0 = ò f (t )dt = ò 1dt + ò 0dt = 1
20 0 1

1
é sin npt ù
2 1 2
an = ò f (t )t cos nptdt = ò 1 cos nptdt + ò o cos nptdt = ê úû = 0
0 0 1 ë n p 0

2 1 2
bn = ò f (t ) sin nptdt = ò 1sin nptdt + ò 0 sin nptdt
0 0 1

é cos npt ù
1
1
= -ê ú = (1 - cos np )
ë np û 0 np
That is
1 2 1
b1 = (1 - cos p ) = b2 = (1 - cos 2p ) = 0
p p 2p
1 2 1
b3 = (1 - cos 3p ) = b4 = (1 - cos 4p ) = 0
3p 3p 4p
1 2
b5 = (1 - cos 5p ) =
5p 5p
and so on.
Since a0 = 1 and a n = 0 for all n = 1,2,3,... , the Fourier series, using Equation (1), is

given by
¥
1
f (t ) = (1) + å bn sin nwp t
2 n =1

1
= + b1 sin pt + b2 sin 2pt + b3 sin 3pt + b4 sin 4pt + b5 sin 5pt + ...
2
1 2 2 2
= + sin pt + sin 3pt + sin 5pt + ...
2 p 3p 5p
1 2 1 1
= + (sin pt + sin 3pt + sin 5pt + ...)
2 p 3 5
1 2 ¥ 1
= + å sin( 2n - 1)pt
2 p n=1 2n - 1

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Example 2 Find the Fourier series representation of the function with period T = 4
given by
f (t ) = t -2£t < 2

f (t ) = t

-2 2 t

Solution First, we calculate the Fourier coefficients.

2p 1
Since T = 4, we have w = = p.
4 2
Since f (-t ) = -t = - f (t ), we find that the function f (t ) = t is an odd funtion.
Now we calculate Fourier coefficients:
2
2
4 -ò2
a0 = tdt = 0 [because t is odd]

npt npt
2
2
an = ò
4 -2
t cos
2
dt = 0 [because t cos
2
is odd]

npt
2
2
bn = ò
4 -2
t sin
2
dt

npt æ cos npt / 2 ö

2 2
1
= 2´
20ò t sin
2
dt = ò td ç -
0 è np / 2 ø
÷

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 2
é npt ù npt
2
2 2
=-
np êët cos 2 úû + np ò cos 2 dt
0 0

2 é sin npt / 2 ù
2
2
=- (2 cos np - 0) +
np np êë np / 2 úû 0
4
=- cos np
np
That is
4 4 4 4
b1 = - cos p = b2 = - cos 2p = -
p p 2p 2p
4 4 4 4
b3 = - cos 3p = b4 = - cos 4p = -
3p 3p 4p 4p
4 4
b5 = - cos 5p =
5p 5p
and so on.

The Fourier transform is

¥
1
f (t ) = (0) + å bn sin nwt
2 n =1

= b1 sin wt + b2 sin 2wt + b3 sin 3wt + b4 sin 4wt + b5 sin 5wt + ...

4 4 4 4 2
= sin wt - sin 2wt + sin 3wt - sin 4wt + sin 5wt + ...
p 2p 3p 4p 5p
4 1 1 1 1 1
= ( sin wt - sin 2wt + sin 3wt - sin 4wt + sin 5wt + ...)
p 1 2 3 4 5
4 ¥ (-1) n+1
= å
p n=1 n
sin nwt

Exercise 4.3
Find the Fourier series representation of the following functions.
ì0 -5< t < 0
1. f (t ) = í
î1 0<t <5
f (t ) = f (t + 10)

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 ì- 1 -p < t < 0
2. f (t ) = í
î0 0<t <p
f (t ) = f (t + 2p )

3. f (t ) = t 2 + pt -p < t < p
f (t ) = f (t + 2p )

4. f (t ) = 1 + t -p < t £ p
f (t ) = f (t + 2p )

5. f (t ) = t 2 0 < t £ 2p
f (t ) = f (t + 2p )

ì- 4 -p < t £ 0
6. f (t ) = í
î4 0<t <p
f (t ) = f (t + 2p )

ì0 - p < t < -p / 2
ï
7. f (t ) = í2 -p / 2 £ t £ p / 2
ï0 p /2 < t < p
î
f (t ) = f (t + 2p )

ì2(t + 1) -1 < t £ 0
8. f (t ) = í
î 0 0 < t <1
f (t ) = f (t + 2)

ìt 2 0<t <p
9. f (t ) = í
î0 p < t < 2p

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 f (t ) = f (t + 2p )

10. f (t ) = 2 sin t 0 < t < 2p

f (t ) = f (t + 2p )

4.4 HALF-RANGE SERIES

Example 1 By defining an appropriate periodic extension of the function illustrated

below, find the half-range cosine series representation.

y = f (t ) (Non periodic)

p t

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 y = f * (t ) (Periodic function)

- 2p -p 0 p 2p t

Solution
We can only find Fourier series of periodic function. Therefore, we have to define a new
function which is a periodic function, f * (t ), from the given non periodic function
f (t ) = t 0<t <p

Half-range cosine series ® bn = 0, n = 1, 2,3,...

® f * (t ) sin wt is odd

® f * (t ) is even
This function is an extension of the given function and is not the same as the given
function. That is why we use different symbol f * (t ) instead of f (t ).

Since f * (t ) even, we extend the given function

f (t ) = t 0<t <p

to become f * (t ) as follows.

f * (t ) = t -p < t < p

f * (t ) = f * (t + 2p )

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Since the period, T = 2p , we have angular frequency, w = 1.

Also, since bn = 0, n = 1, 2,3,... ; we only need to calculate a0 and a n :

p p p
2 1 2
a0 =
2p ò
-p
f * (t )dt =
p ò t dt =
-p
p ò0
tdt = p

p p p
1 1 2
an =
p ò
-p
f * (t ) cos ntdt =
p ò t cos ntdt =
-p
p ò0
t cosntdt

p p
2 æ sin nt ö 2
= ò td ç -
np ò0
÷=- td (sin nt )
p 0 è n ø

2 ì p
ü
=- í[t sin nt ]p
- ò
2
sin ntdt ý = 2 (1 - cos np )
np î þ np
0
0

That is
2 4
a1 = (1 - cos p ) = a2 = 0
p p
2 4
a3 = (1 - cos 3p ) = 2 a4 = 0
3 p
2
3 p
4
a5 = a6 = 0
5 p
2

Therefore the half-range cosine series is

¥
1
f * (t ) = a 0 + å a n cos nwt
2 n =1

1 4 1 1
= p - (cos t + 2 cos 3t + 2 cos 5t + ...)
2 p 3 5
1 4 ¥ 1
= p- å cos(2n - 1)t
2 p n =1 (2n - 1) 2

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Exercises 4.4

1. Graph an appropriate periodic extension of

f (t ) = 3t 0<t <p
and hence find its half-range cosine series representation.

2. Find the half-range sine series representation of the non periodic function given in
Example 1.

3. Find the half-range Fourier cosine series representing the function

f (t ) = sin t 0<t <p

4. Graph an appropriate periodic extension of

f (t ) = e t 0 < t <1

5. Find the half-range Fourier sine series representation of

f (t ) = 2 - t 0£t £2

6. Find the half-range Fourier sine series representation of the function

f (t ) = t sin t 0£t £p

7. Find the half-range Fourier sine series representation of the function

f (t ) = cos 2t 0£t £p

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