FOURIER SERIES

Jean-Baptiste Fourier (France, 1768 - 1830) proved that almost any period
function can be represented as the sum of sinusoids with integrally related
frequencies.
The Fourier series is one example of an orthogonal set of basis functions, as a
very important example for engineers.

Trigonometric form of Fourier Series

cos 2mt
Let us map the functions 1, sin 2mt and by the following :
T T
cos 2mt / T m0

m 1
t m0
sin 2mt / T m0

The purpose of this nothing deeper than to map the conventional Fourier series
onto the notation we have derived for orthogonal functions
 The Fourier series is a special case of the more general theory of orthogonal
functions.
1 t 0 mn
2

*
Now calculate the value of m from n nt t dt
t t
2 1 t1 k
mn

ie 1 t 0 T

T t
cos 2mt / T dt 0.5
2
m0
t
0
T
1 0

m T 1 dt 1
2
m0
t0
t 0 T

1
T sin 2mt / T dt 0.5
2
m0
t0
The value of m for m 0 is simply the power in a sinewave (cosine wave)
The value of 0 is the power in a DC signal of unit amplitude.
Now we can derive immediately the Euler formula from equation
1 t0
T

n t dt
*
a n

ofT x t
by substituting in the values n t 0 and m from the above equations then
t
m
 2 t 0 T
x t cos 2mt / T dt
T t
m0
0

1 t0
T

am T x t dt m0
t0
t 0 T
2
x t sin 2mt / T dt
T
m0
t0
In the Fourier series, instead of using the term a-m as the coefficient of the
cosine terms in the Fourier expansion we usually use the term am with bm
reserved for the sine terms.
The important point to realize here is that the Fourier series expansion is only
a special case of an expansion in terms of orthogonal functions
There are many other function (e.g. Walsh function), so using the Fourier
series as an example, try and understand the more general orthogonal function
approach
When we write a periodic function using a Fourier series expansion in terms
of a DC term and sine and cosine terms the problem which remains is to
determine the coefficients a0 , am and bm

2mt 2mt
x t a0 a m
cos b m
sin
m 1 T T
 Solving a problem using Fourier series
Consider a sawtooth wave which rises from -2V to 2V in a second. It passes
through a linear time invariant communication channel which does not pass
frequencies greater than 5.5 Hz.
What is the power lost in the channel ? Assume the output and input
impedance are the same. (Use sine or cosine Fourier series).

Remove all
u(t) y(t)
frequencies > 5.5 Hz

2V

t
t=0

1s
 The first step is set up the problem mathematically.
The time origin has not been specified in the problem.
Since the system is time invariant it doesn't matter when t = 0 is located since it
is will not change the form of the output.

Choose time t = 0 at the center of the rise of the sawtooth because it makes the
function which we now call u(t), into an odd function.

Since the system is specified in terms of it frequency response, i.e. what it will
do if a sinwave of a given frequency is input, it makes a lot of sense to express
as a sum of either sines and cosines or complex exponentials since as we know
what happens to these functions.

If it's a sinewave or cosine wave and has a frequency less than 5.5 Hz it is
transmitted, otherwise it is eliminated.

The situation with complex exponential is a little trickier, if its in the range [-
5.5,5.5] Hz then will be transmitted otherwise will be eliminated.

It would do no good to find the response to each sinewave individually, because

we could not then add up these individual response to form the total output,
because that would require superposition to hold.
 Let us calculate the Fourier series for a sawtooth wave or arbitrary period and
amplitude. Now with the choice of t = 0, we can write the input as mathematically
within the period as

2 At T T
u t t
T 2 2
We don't need to worry that outside the range [-T/2 < t < T/2] the above formula is
incorrect since all the calculation are done within the range [-T/2 < t < T/2].

As we strict to the range given the mathematical description is identical to the

sawtooth and all will be well.

We want the input to written in the form

2nt 2nt
u t a0 an cos bn sin
n 1 T T
 Go back to Euler formula for Fourier series which have derived earlier from
the general orthogonality conditions
T /2
1
u t dt
T T/ 2
a0

2nt
T /2
2
an u t cos dt
T T /2 T
2nt
T /2
2
bn u t sin dt
T T /2 T

Now for the DC value of the sawtooth

T /2 T /2
1 1 2 At
a0 u t dt
T T/ 2 T
dt
T T /2
T /2
2A t2
a0 2 0
T 2 T / 2

For an the coefficients of the cosine terms

2nt 2nt
T /2 T /2
2 2 2 At
an u t cos dt cos dt
T T /2 T T T /2
T T
 The next step is use integration by parts, i.e.
d
f .g df g f dg
dt dt dt
dg df
dt
f f . g dt g
Therefore
4 A tT 2nt
T /2
2nt
T /2
T
an sin sin dt
T 2n T T / 2 T /2
2 n T

4 A tT 2nt
T /2
2nt
T /2
T
an sin
T 2n T
T / 2 2n T dt
sin
T / 2
4 A tT 2nt
T /2
2nt
T /2
T
an 2 sin sin dt
T 2n T T / 2 T /2
2 n T

4 A T T
T /2
T 2nt
2
T
an 2 sin n sin n cos
T 2n 2 2 2n T
T / 2

4 A T 2
2
T2
an 2 sin n cos n cos n
T 2n 2n

an 0
 This is a lot of work for 0, when it is fairly obvious that the integral of the
product of an odd function (sawtooth) and an even function (the cosine term) is
always zero when we integrate from [-v,v] whatever value of v, as shown below

X =

The procedure for calculating for is almost identical, the final answer is

4 cos n
b
Now we know a0 , an and nbn , we can
n write down the Fourier series
representation for u(t) after substituting T = 1 and A = 2

4 sin 4t sin 6t
u t sin 2t
terms present,2 i.e.bm is 3never zero
The series has all the sine and there are no
cosine terms.
 How can be check that our calculations for u(t) is correct ?
We can calculate the power in the signal by
T /2 T /2

u t
dt
2 2
P dt 4t
T / 2 T / 2

4
P
3
and also by Parseval's theorem when applied to sine and cosine functions

4
2
1
2
1
2
1
2

Pb 1 0 .5

2
3
4
2
4
2
4
Pb 0.5
6 3
Where the 0.5 came from ?
Remember that is m which has the basis function was equal to sin(t) and the
power in the sinewave, m = 0.5 .

Having calculated the Fourier series and having checked it using the Parseval's
theorem it only remains to calculate the power in the first 5 harmonics, i.e.
those with a frequency less than 5.5 Hz
 Thus the power transmitted by the channel is

4
2

1
2
1
2
1
2
1 1
2

Pt 1
2 3 4 5 2
Pt 1.1863

The power loss is therefore 1.3333 - 1.1863 = 0.1470, and the power gain in
dB is thus -0.51 dB.

The final answer is that the channel attenuates the signal by 0.51 dB.