Fourrier transform of an impulsion train

Xavier D ecoret July 8, 2004

This document was inspired by http://math.ut.ee/toomas_l/harmonic_ analysis/ and gives the demonstration of the following theorem : Theorem 1 (Impulsion train). The Fourier transform of a spatial domain impulsion train of period T is a frequency domain impulsion train of frequency = 2/T . (x pT )
pZ kZ FT

(x k )

(1)

Reminders
Fourier Coefcients
Let f be a T -periodic function, we have : 2 = T 1 c = k T

f (x) =
kZ

ck eikx with

f (t)eikt dt
0

The ck are called the Fourier coefcients of f . This coefcient can be rewritten as an integral over any interval of length T . In particular, we will use :
T /2

1 ck = T
T /2

f (t)eikt dt

(2)

Proof. Let g (t) = f (t)eikt . It is a T -periodic function since we have : g (t + T ) = f (t + T )eik(t+T ) = f (t)eikt eikT = f (t)eikt eik2 = g (t)
=1

Equation (2) is said due to the fact that the integral of a T -periodic function is constant over any interval of length T as can be seen from :
c+T 0 T c+T

g (t)dt =
c c

g (t)dt +
0

g (t)dt +
T

g (t)dt
t=u+T

=
c

g (t)dt +

g (t)dt +
0

g (u)du =

g (t)dt
0

Fourier Transform
The Fourier transform F ( ) of a real-valued function f (x) is dened by :

F ( ) =

f (x)eix dx

(3)

The inverse Fourier transform is given by the relation

1 f (x) = 2

F ( )eix d

(4)

When two functions are related by the Fourier transform, we note : f (x) F ( ) We have the symmetry property : if f (x) F ( ) then F (x) 2f ( ) and the linearity property : if f (x) F ( ) f (x) F ( )
FT FT FT FT FT

(5)

then (f + g )(x) (F + G)( )

FT

(6)

The Dirac impulsion

The Dirac function (x) has the sifting property. If f is continuous at point a :

f (t) (t a)dt = f (a)

(7)

The Fourrier transform of a translated Dirac is a complex exponential : (x a) eia

FT

(8)

Impulsion train
Lets consider it(x) = pZ (x pT ) a train of T -spaced impulsions and lets compute its Fourier transform. We rst rewrite f using its Fourier coefcients : it(x) =
kZ

ck eikx

where = 2/T . Using Eq. (2), we have :

T /2 T /2

1 ck = T
T /2

1 it(t)eikt dt = T
T /2

(t pT )eikt dt
T /2 pZ

1 = T

(t pT )eikt dt
pZT /2

Since the function t (t pT ) is null over the interval [T /2, T /2] for p = 0, we are left with only one term in the sumation :
T /2

1 ck = T
T /2

(t)e

ikt

1 dt = T

(t)eikt dt =
=ei0 =1

1 T

by (7)

So nally we have an expression of the impulse train : it(x) = 1 T eikx

kZ

(9)

Applying the symmetry property (5) to the Fourier transform of a Dirac (8) we nd : eik(x) 2 ((x) k ) eikx 2 (x k ) Applying linearity (6) to expression (9) we nally get the equality (1).
FT FT