The true heroes of this story are the students at the Transnational College of LEX. The Fourier Adventure is the dramatic tale of their encounter with Fourier mathematics, as told in the language of formulas. approach to the teaching of ementary Fourier series that is innovative, inceptual, and appealingly informal.” John Allen Paulos, Professor of Mathematics Gt Temple University and author of the bettseling book numeracy “Atun excursion into Fourier series using familiar everyday examples to discover some basic concepts of mathematics and physics." Carolyn Norton, PhD Mathematics (MIT) computer programmer with IBM "This book introduces the lay person fo the field of complex Fourier: analysis using a very easy to understand build-up approach. The mathematics of trigonometry, é ‘exponentiation, differentiation and integration are ail introduced at a very y elementary level. Numerous examples are ec < included fo illustrate the direct application of these areas of mathematics to complex Fourier analysis. The book also serves as an excellent introduction to students of mathematics, physics, engineering and computer science." Jerome A, LeMieux, PhD Electrical Engineering (Mil) engineer and commercial plat ISBN-13:978-0-9649504-0-3, ISBN-10; 0-964a504-08 0 i = [ WHO IS < FOURIE ? Oo A MATHEMATICAL ADVENTURE | — College Transnational of LEXWHO IS FOURIER? A Mathematical Adventure Written by Transnational College of LEX Translated by Alan Gleason Language Research Foundation BOSTONWhois Fourier? A Mathematical Adventure Published by Language Research Foundation, 68 Leonard Street, Suite 301, Belmont, MA 02478-2566 USA E-mail: publisher@lexlef.org, www lexlef.org First Published 1995. Copyright © 1995 by Transnational College of LEX Second Printing 1997, Third Printing 1998, Fourth Printing 2000. Fifth Printing 2001 Sixth Printing 2002. Seventh Printing 2004, Eighth Printing 2006, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 94-79684 ISBN 10: 0-9643504-08 ISBN 13: 978-9.9643504.0.3 All sights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any ‘means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying. recording. or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher. The Publisher has made every effort to race the ownership of all copyrighted material and to secure the necessary permissions. Ts the event of any question arising as tothe use of any material, the Publisher, while expressing every regret for any inadvertent error, will be happy to make any necessary corrections. Printed in the United States of America 1098 Acknowledgments ‘Writing and producing the original version and the translation ofthis book has involved many people, It gives us great pleasure to acknowledge those people who have taken time to help and ‘advise us with our projects ‘Yoichiro Nambu, Ph.D., Elementary Particle Physics at Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago ‘Mayumi Morimoto, (Ph.D. Program), Statstcs/Probebilty, Department of Mathematics, ‘Boston University Jerry Lemieux, BSEE, MSEE, PhDEE, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ‘Tapanese Language Services, Boston Advisors to the original Japanese Version Genpei Akasegawa, artist, writer, photographer Jiro Ohta, Ph, Cell Biology, President of Ochanomizu University “Tan Sakakibara, Automatic Control Engineering, Director of LEX Institute Hiroshi Shimizu, Ph.D., Biological Complexity and Information, The Ba Research Institute, Kanazawa Insite of Technology & International Media Foundation ‘Yusuke Toukahara, Technical Research Institute in Toppan Printing Co. ‘Yao Nakano, Senior Fellow atthe LEX Institute ‘Tena Hayashi, Ph,D., Control and System Engineering, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo Insitute of ‘Technology / Professor of Toin University of Yokohama ‘Toyoo Maeda, Ph.D., Metallurgist, IHI Research Institute Vice-Director Junichi Miida, Ph.D., Nuclear Engineering, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (1956-1981), Deputy Director /Niclear Science and Engineering, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Pats U97e-1979), Depa Director Shigeyuki Minami, P.D., Electromagnetism, Osaka City University ‘Kazuo Yamazaki, P.D., Theoretical Physics, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University / Professor of Kobegakuin University Keiko Nakamura, PhD., Biobistory, Biohistory Research Hall Deputy Director General / Professor of Osaka University ‘Takao Saito, PhD., Space Physics, Professor Emeritus of Tohoku University Hippo Family Club Merbers who joined inthe Fourier Lectures in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka Cover Design by Rodelinde Albrecht. lstration by Nataliya Gurshman, Fourier illustration from, Portraits et Histoire des Hommes Usiles, Collection de Cinquante Portraits, (Société Montyon et Franklin, 1839-1840) in Boston Public LibraryFOREWORD 1o tHe ENGLISH-LANGUAGE EDITION Fourier mathematics is « powerful means of analyzing phenomena, such as light, sound, vibrations, and heat conduction, that ake the form of waves, Sound can be defined as waves of pressure that vibrate the air and are thereby transmitted. Words utered by buman beings ar of, course a kind of sound, and therefore can be described as waves. A sustained vocal sound, such as a vowel, consists of repetitions of the same wave pate. Fourier formulas come in very handy when we wish to analyze the structure of, these sounds, rom the first stages of its production, the original book was never intended fo be sold in regular bookstores. It was conceived and written forthe purpose of relating the experiences of the students ofthe Transnational College of LEX to as ‘many Hippo Family Club members as possible, ‘Those experiences included many surprise iscoveries and emotional moments encountered fon their adventure into the field of Fourier ‘mathematics. To us, the members of Hippo are the same as reiatves. This book was meant forthe est ‘of our family. That the book was produced by amateurs 's evident in its appearance. It does not look like 4 typical "book". Tn ation to the lack of consistoney between chapters and the jagged Ieers produced by our word processor, the use of jokes and foreign woeds which could only be understood by Hippo members ined the popes “The students were divided into groups and each group studied a diferent aspect of Fourier. The first drafts for each ckapter were written by the ‘most mathematically inexperienced first year stadents of each group. Watching them develop an understanding ofthe subject and begin to use its jasgon bonded everyone together, There were ‘many emotional moments in this process which could never have been seen in a gathering of mathematicians, Every student in the group explained in detail how they came to understand cach step. They methodically explored the Individual concepts. Ths book is as much about the process of learning as itis about Fourier ‘mathematics. That may explain why readers are able to readily understand the methods employed. At first, the students took up the study of Fourier mathematics simply fo obtin some basic knowledge to help in teir analysis of the votee ‘But the deeper they planged in their stady ofthe ‘Phenomena of sound, fe more they realized that ‘his mathematics and its formulas were a bona fide language for describirg phenomena such as the {familiar trigonometric functions sine and cosine; 4ifferentiation for finding the velocity or acceleration of a moving object integration for finding the distance moved by an object; thewi Frewont ‘imaginary nurmber i, so useful in calculations the base ¢ of naturl logarithms, which has a special significance in differentiation and integration; vectors, which have both magnitude and direction; and Maclaurin's expansion, which allows the conversion of any expression into a single format All of these concepts, which are normally learmed about separately when studying physics or rathematics, appear on-stage together in the drama of Fourie’s wave analysis, We, the student authors, made absolutely no efforts to advertise the book to the public. Its popularity spread by word of mouth. Now, that same word has led to the publication ofthe English language edition. ‘Thinking back about a book that began withthe printing of only 700 copies and now Ins Sd over 60,000 copies, and seeing how far it ‘has come makes us inexpressibly happy. ‘We have also boon blesed with the chance to hhave the English version checked for technical cerors by Dr Yoichiro Nambu ofthe University of Chicago, a world renowned researcher in lementary particle physics, and a number of other prominent scholars. However, any errors in this. ‘work are completely cur responsibilty, ‘Thanks to this book we have met many people and will treasure thote ties, We look forward to ‘encountering the many new readers of this book Someday in the fatare, January 1995 ‘Transnational College of LEX Introduction to the English-Language Edition Part 1 Chapter 1 ‘Chapter 2 Chapter 3. Chapter 4 Part 2 compe § casper 6 chapter 7 Chapter 8 Part 3 Copter 9 apt 10 Copter Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Appendix Answer Page Afterword CONTENTS Fourier Series 3 Fourier Coefficients 0° Discrete Fourier Expansion us The Spectrum of the Voice 139 165 Differentiation 167 Differentiation of sin 193 Integration 29 Projection and Orthogonality 259 298 eandi 297 Euler's Formula 325 ‘Complex Number Representation of Fourier Series and Fourier Coefficients 355 ‘The Fourier Transform and the Uncertainty of Waves 371 ‘The FFT Method 301 nse au