Fourier analysis

noun

, Physics, Mathematics.

1. the expression of any periodic function as a sum of sine and cosine functions, as in an electromagnetic wave function. Compare Fourier series.
2. harmonic analysis.

Fourier analysis

/ ˈfʊərɪˌeɪ /

noun

1. the analysis of a periodic function into its simple sinusoidal or harmonic components, whose sum forms a Fourier series

Fourier analysis

1. The branch of mathematics concerned with the approximation of periodic functions by the Fourier series and with generalizations of such approximations to a wider class of functions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fourier analysis¹

First recorded in 1925–30; named after J.B.J. Fourier

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fourier analysis¹

C19: named after Baron Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (1768–1830), French mathematician, Egyptologist, and administrator

Example Sentences

Throughout the 19th century, Fourier analysis evolved to include wider classes of phenomena, including waves that change their shape over time rather than repeating identically forever.

From New York Times

More than two centuries ago, mathematicians developed a method called Fourier analysis for describing, for example, the vibrations of a guitar string as the combination of multiple sine waves.

From New York Times

Fourier analysis allows complex waveforms to be understood and analysed by breaking them down into simpler signals.

From Nature

Wavelets are an extension of the mathematical toolkit of Fourier analysis, named after Joseph Fourier, who initiated the field in the 1800s.

From Nature

I've got a problem sheet on complex Fourier analysis due in at midday.

From BBC