MAT2002 - ADDE Dr. T.

Phaneendra
Module 2 Professor of Mathematics

Average and Root Mean Square values of periodic functions:

Let f (t ) be periodic function defined on interval I  [l , l ] with period 2l.
Then we define average and rms values of f over I by
1 l
1. f ave   t l f (t ) dt
2l
1 l
2. f rms   [ f (t )] dt
2

2l t  l
Parseval’s identity:
Suppose f is a periodic function with period 2l, represented by a Fourier series:
a   nt   nt  
f (t )  0   n 1  an cos    bn sin    , l  t  l . … (1)
2   l   l 
Then
1 l a02
 l [ f (t )] dt    n 1 (an2  bn2 ) . …
2
(2)
l 2

rms value of a function in terms of its Fourier coefficients:

Dividing with 2 both sides of the equation (2) and using the definition of the rms value, we
get
1 l a2 1
2
f rms on I   l [ f (t )]2 dt  0   n 1 (an2  bn2 ) . … (3)
2l 4 2

A nice physical application of Parseval’s identity:

Let I(t) be the electric current flowing through a resistor with resistance R ohms. Then I 2 R is
the power generated.

If I varies periodically with time t, then

 [ I (t )]2 R gives the instantaneous power generated
 The average power generated over one cycle [l , l ] is given by
1 l 2 1 l 2 
Pave   l I (t ) R dt  R   l I (t ) dt 
2l  2l 
Pave 1 l 2
   l I (t ) dt  I rms
2
over one cycle - l  t  l . … (4)
R 2l

Suppose that I is given by the Fourier series

a   nt   nt  
I (t )  0   n 1  an cos    bn sin    , l  t  l . … (5)
2   l   l 
a2 1
Then from (3), we have I rms 2
 0   n 1 (an2  bn2 ) .
4 2

Using this in (4), we finally get

Pave a02 1 
   n 1 (an2  bn2 ) over one cycle  l  t  l . … (6)
R 4 2

The quantity given by (6) represents the power generated by each frequency component of the
current I in one cycle, and is usually called the power spectrum of the current I.

SJT 511-A10 Page 1 phaneendra.t@vit.ac.in

MAT105 UNIT 3 (Fourier series) Dr. T. Phaneendra

Parseval’s identities in case of half-range sine and cosine series:

(a) Suppose f is a periodic function with period 2l, with half-range cosine series:
a  nt 
f (t )  0   n 1 an cos  , 0t l.
2  l 
2 a2
Then  0l [ f (t )]2 dt  0   n 1 an2 .
l 2
(b) Suppose f is a periodic function with period 2l, with half-range sine series:
 nt 
f (t )   n 1 bn sin  , 0t l.
 l 
2 l
Then  0 [ f (t )]2 dt   n 1 bn2 .
l

Example 1 Find a half-range sine series of f ( x)  k in the period   x   and hence

1 1 2
show that 1      
32 52 8
Solution. The half-range sine series of f ( x)  k in the period   x   is
k   n 1 bn sin nx ,
2 [1  (1) n ] 0 if n is even
where bn     4k
 n  n
if n is odd.
Substituting these values in the Parseval’s identity, we see that
2  16k 2  2  k 2 dx
 0 [ f ( x)] dx   n 1 bn   n 1


2 2

 ( n is odd) n   0
2 2

16k 2 1  1  1     2k   or 1  1  1     

2 2

2  32 52 
  32 52 8

Example 2 Find a Fourier series of f ( x)  x 2 in the period   x   and hence show

1 1 1 4
that 1       
24 34 44 90
Solution. Since f ( x)  x 2 is an even function, its Fourier series contains only
cosine terms and possibly the constant term.

In fact, we have
a0  nt 
f ( x)    n 1 an cos  ,
2  l 
2 2 4(1) n
where a0  , an  and bn  0 for all n.
3 n2
Substituting these values in the Parseval’s identity
2  a02
 0 [ f ( x)] dx    n 1 an2 ,
2

 2
we see that
2 2
1  22   4(1)n  2  4
    
n 1     0 x dx
2  3   n 
2


SJT 511-A10 Page 2 phaneendra.t@vit.ac.in

MAT105 UNIT 3 (Fourier series) Dr. T. Phaneendra

  2 2 84
5 4
1 1 1
 16 1  4  4  4      
 2 3 4  5 9 45
1 1 1  4
 1  4  4  4    
2 3 4 90

Example 3 Find a Fourier series of f ( x)  x in the period l  x  l and hence

1 2
show that  n 1  
n2 6
Solution. The Fourier series of f ( x)  x in the period l  x  l is
2l  (1)n 1  nx 
x  n 1 sin  .
 n  l 
2l (1)n1
 a0  0  an and bn   for all n.
 n
Substituting these values in the Parseval’s identity (2), we see that
a02 1 l
  n 1 (an2  bn2 )   l [ f ( x)]2 dx
2 l
2
 2l (1)n 1  1 l 2 2 l 2
  
n 1      l x dx   0 x dx
 n  l l
0
4l 2 1 2 x3 2l 3 1 2
   
n 1   or  n 1  
2 n2 l 3 x l
3l n2 6

SJT 511-A10 Page 3 phaneendra.t@vit.ac.in