Who Is Fourier A Mathematical 15
Who Is Fourier A Mathematical 15?
In this article, we will explore the meaning and significance of the term \"Fourier a mathematical 15\". We will learn about the life and work of Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier, a French mathematician and physicist who made groundbreaking contributions to the field of harmonic analysis. We will also see how his invention of the Fourier series, a powerful tool for representing periodic functions, has led to many applications in science and engineering, especially in solving partial differential equations (PDEs).
Introduction
What is a mathematical 15?
A mathematical 15 is a term that refers to a chapter or a section in a textbook or a course on differential equations. It is usually the last chapter or section that covers the topic of Fourier series and PDEs. The term is derived from the title of a book by Jiří Lebl, \"Differential Equations for Engineering\", which has 15 chapters. The last chapter, chapter 15, is titled \"Fourier series and PDEs\". The book is available online at www.jirka.org/diffyqs/.
The term \"Fourier a mathematical 15\" is also used as a way of expressing admiration or respect for someone who has mastered the topic of Fourier series and PDEs. It implies that the person has reached a high level of mathematical sophistication and skill.
Who was Fourier and what did he do?
Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier was born on March 21, 1768, in Auxerre, France. He was orphaned at an early age and was educated by the Benedictine monks at the local convent. He showed great talent in mathematics and became a teacher at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. He was also involved in the French Revolution and joined Napoleon's expedition to Egypt as a scientific advisor. He later became the governor of Lower Egypt and the director of the Egyptian Institute.
Fourier's most famous work is his treatise \"The Analytical Theory of Heat\", published in 1822. In this work, he introduced the concept of the Fourier series, a way of representing any periodic function as an infinite sum of sines and cosines. He also showed how to use this method to solve the heat equation, a PDE that describes how heat flows in a given medium. He also proved the Fourier theorem, which states that any function that satisfies certain conditions can be approximated by a Fourier series.
Why is Fourier series important?
Fourier series are important for several reasons. First, they provide a simple and elegant way of expressing periodic functions, which are ubiquitous in nature and science. For example, sound waves, light waves, electric currents, tides, seasons, etc., are all periodic phenomena that can be modeled by Fourier series. Second, they allow us to decompose complex functions into simpler components, namely sines and cosines. This makes it easier to analyze and manipulate them. For example, we can use Fourier series to find the frequency, amplitude, and phase of a periodic signal, or to filter out unwanted noise. Third, they enable us to solve PDEs that arise in many physical problems, such as heat conduction, wave propagation, fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, etc. By using Fourier series, we can transform a PDE into an ordinary differential equation (ODE), which is usually easier to solve. We can then use the inverse Fourier transform to recover the original solution.
Fourier Series and PDEs
What are PDEs and how are they related to Fourier series?
A PDE is an equation that involves the partial derivatives of an unknown function with respect to several independent variables. For example, the heat equation is a PDE that relates the temperature u(x,t) at a point x and time t to its spatial and temporal derivatives:
ut = k uxx
where k is a constant that depends on the thermal conductivity of the medium. A PDE usually comes with some boundary conditions, which specify the values or the behavior of the unknown function at the boundaries of the domain. For example, the boundary conditions for the heat equation on a rod of length L could be:
u(0,t) = u(L,t) = 0
which means that the ends of the rod are kept at zero temperature. A PDE also usually comes with some initial conditions, which specify the values or the behavior of the unknown function at the initial time. For example, the initial condition for the heat equation on a rod could be:
u(x,0) = f(x)
which means that the initial temperature distribution on the rod is given by some function f(x).
PDEs are related to Fourier series because Fourier series provide a way of finding solutions to PDEs that satisfy certain periodicity or symmetry conditions. The main idea is to use a technique called separation of variables, which consists of assuming that the unknown function can be written as a product of functions that depend on only one variable each. For example, for the heat equation on a rod, we can assume that:
u(x,t) = X(x) T(t)
where X(x) is a function of x only and T(t) is a function of t only. By plugging this into the PDE and dividing by u(x,t), we obtain:
T't/T = k X''x/X
This equation must hold for all values of x and t, which means that both sides must be equal to some constant c. We then obtain two ODEs:
T't = c T
X''x = c/k X
We can then solve these ODEs separately and find their general solutions. For example, for c
T(t) = A e
X(x) = B cos((-c/k) x) + C sin((-c/k) x)
where A, B, and C are arbitrary constants. We can then apply the boundary conditions and the initial conditions to find the values of these constants and obtain a particular solution. However, this particular solution may not be unique or complete. To find the most general solution, we need to consider all possible values of c and form a linear combination of all particular solutions. This linear combination is precisely a Fourier series.
How to compute Fourier series for different periodic functions?
A Fourier series is an infinite sum of sines and cosines that can approximate any periodic function. The general form of a Fourier series is:
f(x) a0/2 + n=1(an cos(nπx/L) + bn sin(nπx/L))
where L is the half period of the function f(x), and an and bn are coefficients that depend on f(x). To find these coefficients, we use the following formulas:
an = (1/L) -Lf(x) cos(nπx/L) dx
How to use Fourier series to solve boundary value problems?
A boundary value problem (BVP) is a problem that involves finding a solution to a PDE that satisfies some conditions at the boundaries of the domain. For example, the heat equation on a rod is a BVP that requires finding a function u(x,t) that satisfies:
ut = k uxx
u(0,t) = u(L,t) = 0
u(x,0) = f(x)
We can use Fourier series to solve BVPs by following these steps:
Assume that the solution can be written as a product of functions that depend on only one variable each, and plug it into the PDE.
Separate the variables and obtain two ODEs, one for each variable.
Solve the ODEs and find their general solutions.
Apply the boundary conditions and find the values of the constants or parameters in the general solutions.
Form a linear combination of all particular solutions and obtain a Fourier series.
Apply the initial conditions and find the coefficients of the Fourier series.
Write the final solution as a Fourier series.
Let us illustrate this method with two examples.
Example: Periodically forced oscillation
We have already seen this example in the introduction section. We have a mass-spring system with a periodic forcing function F(t) that has a half period of L. The equation of motion is:
x + 2x = F(t)
We assume that F(t) can be written as a Fourier series:
F(t) = c0/2 + n=1(cn cos(nπt/L) + dn sin(nπt/L))
We also assume that the solution can be written as:
x(t) = a0/2 + n=1(an cos(nπt/L) + bn sin(nπt/L))
We plug this into the equation and obtain:
-nπ/Lan/2 + 2an/2 + cn/2 = 0
-nπ/Lbn/2 + 2bn/2 + dn/2 = 0
We solve for an and bn and obtain:
an = -cnL/((nπ)L - 4L)
bn = -dnL/((nπ)L - 4L)
We write the final solution as:
x(t) = n=1(-cnL/(nπ)L - 4L) cos(nπt/L) + (-dnL/(nπ)L - 4L) sin(nπt/L))
Example: Steady state temperature and the Laplacian
We have an insulated wire of length L with fixed temperatures at both ends. We want to find the steady state temperature distribution u(x) on the wire. The equation that governs this problem is:
d/dx(k du/dx) = 0
where k is a constant that depends on the thermal conductivity of the wire. This equation can be simplified to:
uxx = 0
The boundary conditions are:
u(0) = T0
u(L) = TL
We assume that the solution can be written as:
u(x) = a0/2 + n=1(an cos(nπx/L) + bn sin(nπx/L))
We plug this into the equation and obtain:
-nπ/Lan/2 = 0
-nπ/Lbn/2 = 0
We solve for an and bn and obtain:
an = 0
bn = 0
We write the final solution as:
u(x) = a0/2
We apply the boundary conditions and obtain:
a0/2 = T0
a0/2 = TL
This implies that T0 = TL, which means that the temperature at both ends must be equal for a steady state to exist. In that case, the temperature is constant along the wire and equal to T0.
Applications of Fourier Series
What are some real-world phenomena that can be modeled by Fourier series?
Fourier series have many applications in various fields of science and engineering, such as acoustics, optics, signal processing, communication, cryptography, etc. Here are some examples of real-world phenomena that can be modeled by Fourier series.
Sound and music
A sound wave is a periodic variation of air pressure that travels through a medium. The human ear can perceive sound waves with frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 kHz. The pitch of a sound is determined by its frequency, while the loudness is determined by its amplitude. A pure tone is a sound wave with a single frequency, such as a tuning fork or a whistle. However, most natural sounds are not pure tones, but rather complex combinations of different frequencies and amplitudes. For example, a musical instrument produces a sound wave with a fundamental frequency (the lowest frequency) and several harmonics (multiples of the fundamental frequency). Each instrument has a different pattern of harmonics, which gives it a distinctive timbre or quality.
We can use Fourier series to represent any periodic sound wave as an infinite sum of sines and cosines with different frequencies and amplitudes. The coefficients of the Fourier series indicate the relative strength of each frequency component in the sound wave. By analyzing the Fourier series of a sound wave, we can determine its spectrum or frequency distribution. We can also use Fourier series to synthesize or modify sound waves by adding or removing certain frequency components.
Heat and diffusion
We have already seen how Fourier series can be used to solve the heat equation, which models how heat flows in a given medium. The heat equation is an example of a diffusion equation, which describes how any substance or quantity spreads or diffuses over time. For example, we can use the diffusion equation to model how ink spreads in water, how gas molecules mix in a room, how pollutants disperse in the air, etc.
We can use Fourier series to represent the initial distribution of the substance or quantity as a periodic function. Then we can use separation of variables and Fourier series to find the solution of the diffusion equation at any later time. The solution will show how the substance or quantity evolves over time and space.
Image processing and compression
some direction or not. For example, a checkerboard pattern is periodic, while a photograph of a landscape is non-periodic.
We can use Fourier series to represent any periodic image as an infinite sum of sines and cosines with different frequencies and amplitudes. The coefficients of the Fourier series indicate the relative strength of each frequency component in the image. By analyzing the Fourier series of an image, we can determine its spectrum or frequency distribution. We can also use Fourier series to synthesize or modify images by adding or removing certain frequency components.
However, most images are not periodic, so we cannot use Fourier series directly. Instead, we can use a generalization of Fourier series called the Fourier transform, which can handle non-periodic functions. The Fourier transform converts an image from the spatial domain (x,y) to the frequency domain (u,v), where u and v are the horizontal and vertical frequencies. The inverse Fourier transform converts an image from the frequency domain back to the spatial domain.
The Fourier transform and its inverse have many applications in image processing and compression. For example, we can use them to perform filtering, enhancement, restoration, segmentation, edge detection, etc. We can also use them to compress images by discarding or reducing the frequency components that are less important or less noticeable to the human eye.
Conclusion
Summary of main points
In this article, we have learned about the following topics:
A mathematical 15 is a term that refers to a chapter or a section on Fourier series and PDEs in a textbook or a course on differential equations.
Fourier was a French mathematician and physicist who invented the Fourier series, a way of representing any periodic function as an infinite sum of sines and cosines.
Fourier series are important because they provide a simple and elegant way of expressing periodic functions, they allow us to decompose complex functions into simpler components, and they enable us to solve PDEs that arise in many physical problems.
We can use separation of variables and Fourier series to solve BVPs that involve PDEs and periodic or symmetric boundary conditions.
Fourier series have many applications in various fields of science and engineering, such as sound and music, heat and diffusion, image processing and compression, etc.
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between a Fourier series and a Fourier transform?A: A Fourier series is used for periodic functions, while a Fourier transform is used for non-periodic functions. A Fourier series is an infinite sum of sines and cosines with discrete frequencies and amplitudes, while a Fourier transform is an integral of sines and cosines with continuous frequencies and amplitudes.
Q: What are some properties of Fourier series?A: Some properties of Fourier series are: linearity (the Fourier series of a linear combination of functions is the same linear combination of their Fourier series), symmetry (the Fourier series of an even function has only cosine terms and the Fourier series of an odd function has only sine terms), orthogonality (the sines and cosines with different frequencies are orthogonal to each other), convergence (the Fourier series of a function converges to the function at most points under certain conditions), Parseval's identity (the sum of the squares of the coefficients of the Fourier series is equal to the average value of the square of the function).
Q: How can we find the coefficients of a Fourier series?A: We can find the coefficients of a Fourier series by using the formulas:an = (1/L) -Lf(x) cos(nπx/L) dxbn = (1/L) -Lf(x) sin(nπx/L) dxwhere L is the half period of the function f(x), and n is any positive integer. We can also use some tricks or shortcuts to simplify the computation, such as exploiting symmetry properties or using trigonometric identities.
Q: What are some examples of PDEs that can be solved by using Fourier series?A: Some examples of PDEs that can be solved by using Fourier series are: the heat equation (which models how heat flows in a given medium), the wave equation (which models how waves propagate in a given medium), the Laplace equation (which models the potential or steady state of a given system), the Poisson equation (which models the source or force of a given system), etc.
Q: What are some advantages and disadvantages of using Fourier series?A: Some advantages of using Fourier series are: they provide a simple and elegant way of expressing periodic functions, they allow us to decompose complex functions into simpler components, they enable us to solve PDEs that arise in many physical problems, they have many applications in various fields of science and engineering. Some disadvantages of using Fourier series are: they may not converge or converge slowly for some functions, they may not be unique or complete for some functions, they may introduce Gibbs phenomenon (oscillations near discontinuities) for some functions, they may be difficult to compute or manipulate for some functions.