C. A.

Bouman: Digital Image Processing - January 11, 2010 1

Continuous Time Fourier Transform (CTFT)
F(f) =
_

f(t)e
j2ft
dt
f(t) =
_

F(f)e
j2ft
df
f(t) is continuous time. (Also known as continuous pa-
rameter.)
F(f) is a continuous function of frequency < f <
.
C. A. Bouman: Digital Image Processing - January 11, 2010 2
Useful Continuous Time Signal Denitions
Rect function: rect(t) =
_

_
1 for |t| 1/2
0 otherwise
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Rect Function
Step function: u(t) =
_

_
1 for t 0
0 for t < 0
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
1
0.5
0
0.5
1
Step Function
Sign function: sgn(t) =
_

_
1 for t > 0
0 for t = 0
1 for t < 0
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
1
0.5
0
0.5
1
Sign Function
Sinc function: sinc(t) =
sin(t)
t
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Sinc Function
Lambda function: (t) =
_

_
1 |t| for |t| 1
0 for |t| > 1
3 2 1 0 1 2 3
0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Lambda Function
C. A. Bouman: Digital Image Processing - January 11, 2010 3
Continuous Time Delta Function
The function (t) is actually not a function.
(t) is dened by the property that for all continuous func-
tions g(t)
g(0) =
_

(t)g(t)dt
Intuitively, we may think of (t) as a very short pulse with
unit area.
g(0) = lim
0
_

_
1

rect(t/)
_

_
g(t)dt
Intuitively (but not rigorously)
(t) = lim
0
1

rect(t/)
C. A. Bouman: Digital Image Processing - January 11, 2010 4
Useful CTFT Relations
(t)
CTFT
1
1
CTFT
(f)
rect(t)
CTFT
sinc(f)
sinc(t)
CTFT
rect(f)
(t)
CTFT
sinc
2
(f)
C. A. Bouman: Digital Image Processing - January 11, 2010 5
CTFT Properties
Property Time Domain Function CTFT
Linearity af(t) + bg(t) aF(f) + bG(f)
Conjugation f

(t) F

(f)
Scaling f(at)
1
|a|
F(f/a)
Shifting f(t t
0
) exp {j2ft
0
} F(f)
Modulation exp {j2f
0
t} f(t) F(f f
0
)
Convolution f(t) g(t) F(f) G(f)
Multiplication f(t)g(t) F(f) G(f)
Duality F(t) f(f)
Inner product property
_

f(t)g

(t)dt =
_

F(f)G

(f)df