1

Fourier Series with periods (-t, t)

1) f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=
+
1
sin cos
n
n n
nx b nx a , neZ
+
2) a
o
=
}

t
t
t
dx x f ) (
1

3) a
n
=
}

t
t
t
nxdx x f cos ) (
1

4) b
n
=
}

t
t
t
nxdx x f sin ) (
1


Eg1
Find the Fourier series for the function
defined by

< <
< <
=
t
t
x
x x
x f
0 , 0
0 ,
) (
2


Sol
f(x) is neither even nor odd function

1) f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=
+
1
sin cos
n
n n
nx b nx a , neZ
+
2) a
o
=
}

t
t
t
dx x f ) (
1

=
}

0
1
t
t
xdx
= | |
0
2
2
1
t
t

x
= | |
2
) ( 0
2
1
t
t

=
2
t

3

3) a
n
=
}

t
t
t
nxdx x f cos ) (
1

=
}

0
cos
1
t
t
nxdx x
=
0
2
cos sin 1
t
t

(

+
n
nx
n
nx x

=
(

|
.
|

\
|

+ +
2 2
) ( cos
0
1
0
1
n
n
n
t
t

= | | t
t
n
n
cos 1
1
2

=

=
=
even n
odd n
n
, 0
,
2
2
t


4) b
n
=
}

t
t
t
nxdx x f sin ) (
1

=
}

0
sin
1
t
t
nxdx x
=
0
2
sin cos 1
t
t

(

+
n
nx
n
nx x

=
(

|
.
|

\
|
+

+ 0
) ( cos
0 0
1
n
n t t
t

4
=
(

n
nt cos

=

=
=
even n
n
odd n
n
,
1
,
1

a
o
=
2
t
, a
n
=

=
=
even n
odd n
n
, 0
,
2
2
t

b
n
=

=
=
even n
n
odd n
n
,
1
,
1

f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=
+
1
sin cos
n
n n
nx b nx a
=
4
t
-
)
`

+ + + ... 5 cos
25
1
3 cos
9
1
cos
2
x x x
t
+
)
`

+ + ... 4 sin
4
1
3 sin
3
1
2 sin
2
1
sin x x x x

Eg2
Find the Fourier series for the function
shown.
5

Sol
Consider one cycle between x = -t and
x = t.
f(x) =

< <
< <
< <
t
t
t t
t
t
x
x
x
2
, 0
2 2
, 4
2
, 0

f(x) = f(x + 2t)

f(x) is symmetrical about y-axis, so f(x) is
even function. Fourier series for f(x) will
contain a
o
+ cosine terms only.

6
f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=1
cos
n
n
nx a , neZ
+
1) a
o
=
}
t
t
0
) (
2
dx x f
=
}
2
0
4
2
t
t
dx
=
(

2
8 t
t
= 4

2) a
n
=
}
t
t
0
cos ) (
2
nxdx x f
=
}
2
0
cos 4
2
t
t
nxdx
= | |
2
0
sin
8
t
t
nx
n

=
(

2
sin
8 t
t
n
n


a
o
= 4, a
n
=
(

2
sin
8 t
t
n
n

f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=1
cos
n
n
nx a , neZ
+

= 2 +

=
)
`

1
cos
2
sin
8
n
nx
n
n
t
t

7
= 2 +
)
`

+ + ... 7 cos
7
1
5 cos
5
1
3 cos
3
1
cos
8
x x x x
t


Eg3
Consider the function shown

< <
< <
=
t
t
x
x
x f
0 , 6
0 , 6
) ( .

Sol
This is an odd function, Thus contains
sine terms only, a
o
= 0, a
n
= 0.

f(x) = { }

=1
sin
n
n
nx b , neZ
+
8
1) b
n
=
}
t
t
0
sin ) (
2
nxdx x f
=
}
t
t
0
sin 6
2
nxdx
= | |
t
t
0
cos
12
nx
n

= | | 1 cos
12
t
t
n
n

=

=
=
even n
odd n
n
, 0
,
24
t

f(x) = { }

=1
sin
n
n
nx b
=
)
`

+ + + ... 5 sin
5
1
3 sin
3
1
sin
24
x x x
t


Eg4
Find the Fourier series for the function
shown

< <
< <
=
t
t
t
x x
x
x f
0 ,
2
0 , 2
) (
9

Sol
f(x) is neither even nor odd function

f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=
+
1
sin cos
n
n n
nx b nx a , neZ
+

1) a
o
=
}

t
t
t
dx x f ) (
1

=
)
`

+
} }

t
t
t t
0
0
2
2
1
xdx dx
= | | | |
)
`

t
t
t t
0
2
0
1
2
1
x x
= | | | |
)
`

+ +
2
1
2 0
1
t
t
t
t

= 3
10

2) a
n
=
}

t
t
t
nxdx x f cos ) (
1

=
)
`

+
} }

t
t
t t
0
0
cos
2
cos 2
1
nxdx
x
nxdx
=
)
`

+ +
(

t
t
t t t
0
2
0
cos sin sin 2
n
nx
n
nx x
n
nx

= | |
)
`

|
.
|

\
|
+ + + +
2 2
1
0
cos
0 0 0
2
n n
n
t t
t
t

= | | 1 cos
2
2 2
t
t
n
n

=

=
=
even n
odd n
n
, 0
,
4
2 2
t


3) b
n
=
}

t
t
t
nxdx x f sin ) (
1

=
)
`

+
} }

t
t
t t
0
0
sin
2
sin 2
1
nxdx
x
nxdx
=
)
`

+ +
(

t
t
t t t
0
2
0
sin cos cos 2
n
nx
n
nx x
n
nx

11
=
( )
)
`

+ + +
(

+ 0 0 0
cos cos 1 2
n
n
n
n
n t
t t t
t
=
n t
2


a
n
= 3, a
n
=

=
=
even n
odd n
n
, 0
,
4
2 2
t
, b
n
=
n t
2

f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=
+
1
sin cos
n
n n
nx b nx a
=
2
3
-
)
`

+ + + ... 5 cos
25
1
3 cos
9
1
cos
4
2
x x x
t
+
)
`

+ + + + ... 4 sin
4
1
3 sin
3
1
2 sin
2
1
sin
2
x x x x
t


Eg5
Determine the Fourier series to
represent the periodic function shown.
12

Sol
f(x) =
2
x
, 0 < x < 2t
f(x) = f(x + 2t), period = 2t


f(x) is neither odd nor even function.
f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=
+
1
sin cos
n
n n
nx b nx a , neZ
+
1) a
o
=
}

t
t
t
dx x f ) (
1
since x is
defined on 0 < x < 2t
=
}
t
t
2
0
) (
1
dx x f
13
=
}
t
t
2
0
2
1
xdx
= | |
t
t
2
0
2
4
1
x
= | | 0 4
4
1
2
t
t

= t

2) a
n
=
}

t
t
t
nxdx x f cos ) (
1
since x is
defined on 0 < x < 2t
=
}
t
t
2
0
cos ) (
1
nxdx x f
=
}
t
t
2
0
cos
2
1
nxdx x
=
t
t
2
0
2
cos sin
2
1
(

+
n
nx
n
nx x

=
(

|
.
|

\
|
+ +
2 2
1
0
1
0
2
1
n n t

= 0

3) b
n
=
}

t
t
t
nxdx x f sin ) (
1
since x is
defined on 0 < x < 2t
14
=
}
t
t
2
0
sin ) (
1
nxdx x f
=
}
t
t
2
0
sin
2
1
nxdx x
=
t
t
2
0
2
sin cos
2
1
(

+
n
nx
n
nx x

= ( )
(

+ + 0 0 0
2
2
1
n
t
t

= -
n
1


f(x) =
2
o
a
+ { }

=
+
1
sin cos
n
n n
nx b nx a
=
2
t
+

=
)
`

1
sin
1
n
nx
n
, a
n
= 0
=
2
t
-{ sin x +
2
1
sin 2x +
3
1
sin 3x + }
Note: the series contains a constant
term and sine terms only.

Exe
Given f(x) =

< <
< < +
t t
t t
x x
x x
0 ,
0 ,

f(x) = f(x + 2t)
15

a) Sketch the graph of f(x) over the
interval 4t < x, 4t
b) Determine whether the function is
even or odd or neither. Give your
reason.
c) Find the Fourier series for f(x).