c pHabala 2012

Fourier series: Solved problems

Solved problems on Fourier series

1. Find the Fourier series for (periodic extension
of)
1, t [0, 2);
f (t) =
1, t [2, 4).
Determine the sum of this series.
2. Find the Fourier series for (periodic extension
of)

t 1, t [0, 2);
f (t) =
3 t, t [2, 4).
Determine the sum of this series.
3. Find the sine Fourier series for (periodic
extension of)
t 1, t [0, 2);
f (t) =
3 t, t [2, 4).
Determine the sum of this series.
4. Find the cosine Fourier series for (periodicextension of)
1, t [0, 1);
f (t) =
0, t [1, 4).
Determine the sum of this series.
5. Find the Fourier series for (periodic extension of)
f (t) = 1 t2 , t [1, 1).
Determine the sum of this series.
Solutions
1. Parameters: The period length is T = 4, frequency =
2
a0 =
T

2.

ZT

Z4
Z2

1
f (t) dt =
1 dt 1 dt = 0,
2

ZT

Z4
Z2

1
cos k 2 t dt cos k 2 t dt
f (t) cos(kt) dt =
2

2
ak =
T

2
T

i2 1 h 2
i4
1h 2
sin k 2 t
sin k 2 t

= 0,
=
2 k
2 k
0
2
Z4
ZT
Z2

1
2
f (t) sin(kt) dt =
sin k 2 t dt sin k 2 t dt
bk =
T
2
0

i2

2
cos k 2 t
k

1h

i4

1
2
=
cos k 2 t
cos(k) + cos(0) + cos(2k) cos(k)
2
2 k
k
0
2

0, k even,
1
2
k
k
k
=
(1) + 1 + 1 (1) =
[1 (1) ] =
4
k
k
k , k odd.
=

1h

Odd numbers can be expressed as k = 2i + 1, to numbers k = 1, 3, 5, 7, . . . correspond indeces

4
i = 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . . For those we then have ak =
. We rewrite the resulting series accordingly,
(2i + 1)
and since the index k is traditional, we pass from i to k at the end.
Thus

X
a0 X
4
2
k
f
+
[1(1) ] sin k 2 t =
sin (2k+1) 2 t .
ak cos(kt)+bk sin(kt) =
2
k
(2k + 1)
k=1

k=1

k=0

What is the sum of this series? First we draw a periodic extension of the function f (on the left).
To this we then apply the Jordan criterion. According to it, the resulting series converges to f at all

c pHabala 2012

Fourier series: Solved problems

points where f (or rather its periodic

+ extension)
is continuous. At points of discontinuity of f the
1

series converges to the average 2 f (t ) + f (t ) . Result: On the right is the function to which our
Fourier series converges, i.e. its sum.

f(t)

1 2

8 10

2. Parameters: The period length is T = 4, frequency =

2
a0 =
T

ZT
0

2
ak =
T

ZT
0

1
f (t) dt =
2

F(t)

Z2

t 1 dt +

Z4

Z2

1
f (t) cos(kt) dt =
2

8 10

2.

3 t dt = 0.

(t 1) cos k 2 t dt +

i2 1 2

2
1h

sin k 2 t
= (t 1)
2
k
2 k
0

2
T

Z2
0

Z4
2

(3 t) cos k 2 t dt = by parts

Z4

i4 1 2
1h
2
+
sin k 2 t dt + (3 t)
sin k 2 t dt
sin k 2 t
2
k
2 k
2
2

h 2
h 2
i2
i4

+ 0 2 2 cos k 2 t
= 0 + 2 2 cos k 2 t
k
k
0
2
2
2
= 2 2 [cos(k) cos(0)] 2 2 [cos(2k) cos(k)]
k
k

0, k even,
2
4
2
k
k
k
= 2 2 [(1) 1] 2 2 [1 (1) ] = 2 2 [(1) 1] =
8
k
k
k
k2 2 , k odd.
ZT
Z4
Z2

2
1
bk =
f (t) sin(kt) dt =
(t 1) sin k 2 t dt + (3 t) sin k 2 t dt = by parts
T
2
0

i2 1 2

1h
2
+
cos k 2 t
(t 1)
2
k
2 k
0

Z2
0

cos k 2 t dt

Z4

i4 1 2
2
1h

cos k 2 t dt
cos k 2 t
(3 t)
2
k
2 k
2
2

h 2
h 2
i2
i4

1
1
+
= 0.
= [cos(k) + cos(0)] + 2 2 sin k 2 t
[cos(2k) + cos(k)] 2 2 sin k 2 t
k
k
k
k
0
2

Odd numbers can be expressed as k = 2i + 1, to numbers k = 1, 3, 5, 7, . . . correspond indeces

8
i = 0, 1, 2, 3, . . . . For those we then have ak =
. We rewrite the resulting series accordingly,
(2i + 1)
and since the index k is traditional, we pass from i to k at the end.
Thus

X
4
a0 X
k
+
[(1)

1]
cos
k2t
ak cos(kt) + bk sin(kt) =
f
2
k2 2
k=1

k=0

k=1

8
cos (2k + 1) 2 t .
(2k + 1)

What is the sum of this series? First we draw a periodic extension of the function f . To this we then
apply the Jordan criterion. According to it, the resulting series converges to f at all points where f

c pHabala 2012

Fourier series: Solved problems

(or rather its periodic extension) is continuous. Since our extension is continuosu everywhere, this
functions is also the sum of the series.

f(t)
1

6
4

10

Since the extension of f is an even function, we should get a cosine series, which we did indeed.
3. Parameters: The length of the given segment is L = 4, after creating an odd function by flipping
the shape about both axes we eventually obtain a function with period T = 8, for sine series we use

the special frequency = 2T

=L
= 4 and classical formulas with L in place of T .
Sine series has a0 = ak = 0.
2
bk =
L

ZL
0

1
f (t) sin(kt) dt =
2

Z2
0

(t 1) sin k 4 t dt +

i2 1 4

1h
4
+
cos k 4 t
(t 1)
2
k
2 k
0

Z2
0

Z4
2

(3 t) sin k 4 t dt = by parts

cos k 4 t dt

i4 1 4
1h
4
(3 t)

cos k 4 t
2
k
2 k
2

Z4
2

cos k 4 t dt

h 8
h 8
i2
i4
2
2
cos k 2 + cos(0) + k2 2 sin k 4 t
cos(k) + cos k 2 k2 2 sin k 4 t
+
=
k
k
0
2

2
[(1)k 1] + k2162 sin k 2 .
=
k
i 16
For k even ve get 0. If k is odd, the first term gives 4
k , while the second one is (1) k 2 2 for
4
16
k = 2i + 1. Thus for k odd, k = 2i + 1 we get bk =
+ (1)i
. As usual we use k
(2i + 1)
(2i + 1)2 2
instead of i.
Thus

h
i
X
a0 X
16
2
k
f
+
[(1) 1] + 2 2 sin k 2 sin k 4 t
ak cos(kt) + bk sin(kt) =
2
k
k

k=1

Xh

k=1

4
(2k+1)

+ (1)k

k=0

16

t
sin
(2k
+
1)
4 .
(2k + 1)2 2
i

What is the sum of this series? First we flip the given shape about both axes, thus creating and odd
function, extending this basic shape we obtain the odd periodic extension of the function f (on the
left). To this we then apply the Jordan criterion. According to it, the resulting series converges to f
at all points where f (or rather its periodic
+ extension)
is continuous. At points of discontinuity of f
1

the series converges to the average 2 f (t ) + f (t ) . Result: On the right is the function to which
our Fourier series converges, i.e. its sum.

f(t)

F(t)
1

1
0
4 2

1 2

10

0
4 2

1 2

10

c pHabala 2012

Fourier series: Solved problems

Alternative: It is possible not to memorize the special formula for sine/cosine Fourier, but apply
the usual Fourier series to that extended basic shape of f to an odd function (see picture on the left).

In this way we get T = 8, = 2

T = 4 . Then we need to find formulas for the segments that give the
basic period of odd extension and we can go, for bk we get
2
bk =
T

ZL

f (t) sin(kt) dt

1
=
4

Z2

(t 3) sin k 4 t dt +

Z0

(t + 1) sin k 4 t dt +

Z2
0

(t 1) sin k 4 t dt +

Z4
2

(3 t) sin k 4 t dt .

This looks tough, perhaps it is better to remember that special formula for sine/cosine series. This
alternative
can
be made a bit easier by the following reasoning: If f (t) is odd on [4, 4), then
f (t) sin k 4 t is even on [4, 4), thus it is enough to integrate over its right half and take it twice:
Z4
Z2
ZL


1
2
(t 1) sin k 4 t dt + (3 t) sin k 4 t dt .
f (t) sin(kt) dt =
bk = 2
T
2
2

But thats exactly the formula we got from the special version right away, so it is probably really best

to simply remember the special frequency = L

for sine/cosine series.
4. Parameters: The length of the given part is L = 4, we see that the specification f (t) = 0 on [1, 4)
is important since it tells us how long the period is.
For the cosine series we first create by flipping the shape an even function with period T = 8, the we

use the special frequency = 2T

=L
= 4 and classical formulas with L in place of T .
ZL
Z1
1
1
2
f (t) dt =
1 dt = .
Cosine series has bk = 0. a0 =
L
2
2
0

ak =

2
L

ZL

f (t) cos(kt) dt =

1
2

Z1
0

i1

2
1h 4
=
cos k 4 t dt =
sin k 4 t
sin k 4 .
2 k
k
0

It is not possible
to write
this
somehow better,
since when we try to substitute k = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

2
2
2
2
6, 7, we get 0, 2 , 1, 2 , 0, 2 , 1, 2 , 0, which is too irregular.
Thus

1 X
a0 X
2
f
+
sin k 4 cos (2k + 1) 4 t .
ak cos(kt) + bk sin(kt) = +
2
4
k
k=1

k=1

What is the sum of this series? First we flip the given shape about the y-axis, thus obtaining an even
function, by extending it we arrive at the even periodic extension of the function f (on the left). To
this we then apply the Jordan criterion. According to it, the resulting series converges to f at all
points where f (or rather its periodic
+ extension)
is continuous. At points of discontinuity of f the
1

series converges to the average 2 f (t ) + f (t ) . Result: On the right is the function to which our
Fourier series converges, i.e. its sum.

1
4

1 0 1

f(t)
4

1
78 9

1 0 1

F(t)
4

78 9

5. Parameters: The period length is T = 2. This function is not given on an interval of the form
[0, T ), but somewhere else, however, a shift in an interval is no problem, we find the Fourier series as

c pHabala 2012

Fourier series: Solved problems

2
T

usual. Frequency is =
2
a0 =
T

T /2
Z
T /2

2
ak =
T

T /2
Z

f (t) dt =

Z1

= .

1 t2 dt =

4
.
3

f (t) cos(kt) dt =

T /2

Z1

(1 t2 ) cos(kt) dt =

by parts

Z1
Z1
h 1
i1
i1
h
2
2
2
2
=
+
+ 2 2 cos(kt) dt
(1 t ) sin(kt)
t sin(kt) dt = 0 + 2 2 t cos(kt)
k
k
k
k
1
1
1

h 2
i1
2
2
= 2 2 [cos(k) + cos(k)] + 0
= 2 2 [cos(k) + cos(k)] + 3 3 sin(kt)
k
k
k
1
4
= (1)k 2 2 .
k
T
/2
Z
Z1

2
bk =
f (t) sin(kt) dt = (1 t2 ) sin(kt) dt = by parts
T
T /2

i1
2
1

= (1 t2 ) cos(kt)
k
k
1
h

Z1

Z1
h 2
i1
2
t cos(kt) dt = 0 2 2 t sin(kt)
+ 2 2 sin(kt) dt
k
k
1
1

h
i1
2
2
2
= 2 2 [sin(k) + sin(k)] + 3 3 cos(kt)
= 0 3 3 [cos(k) cos(k)]
k
k
k
1
2
= 3 3 [cos(k) cos(k)] = 0.
k
Thus

k=1

k=1

2 X
a0 X
4
f
+
ak cos(kt) + bk sin(kt) = +
(1)k+1 2 2 cos(kt).
2
3
k
What is the sum of this series? First we draw a periodic extension of the function f . To this we then
apply the Jordan criterion. According to it, the resulting series converges to f at all points where f
(or rather its periodic extension) is continuous. Since our extension is continuosu everywhere, this
functions is also the sum of the series.

1
1 0

f(t)
1

Notice that the given function is even after we extended it, so the resulting series is naturally a cosine
series. If we drew the extension first, we need not have calculated bk , we could have just written
bk = 0.
Since the interval [1, 1) extends to both sides from the origin, the symmetry is decided right from
the start. We see that the cosine series is possible, since the function f (t) = 1 t2 is even on the
interval [1, 1), but we cannot make an odd function out of f and thus sine series is not possible.