Computer Vision, Image Processing and

Computational Photography
Lecture 4: Fourier transforms

Ayelet Heimowitz

November, 2022

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra

Discrete Fourier transform
1-D DFT
N−1
X 2π
F [k] = f [n]e−j N
nk

n=0

In matrix form
1 1 1 ··· 1
 
 
F [0] 1 W W2 ··· W N−1  f [0]
 
 F [1] 
W2 W4 W N−2 
 
1 ··· f [1] 
 F [2] 
   
W3 W6 W N−3 
 
 1
= ···  . ,
 .   . 
.

  . . . . .    . 
 .  . . . .. .  f [N − 1]
. . . .
F [N − 1]
N−1 N−2
1 W W ··· W

2π
where W = e−j N .
1-D IDFT
N−1
1 X 2π
f [n] = F [k]ej N nk
N
k=0

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra

Discrete Fourier transform

Euler’s formula
ejθ = cos(θ) + j sin(θ).

1-D DFT
N−1  
X 2π 2π
F [k] = f [n] cos( nk) − j sin( nk)
N N
n=0

1-D DFT
N−1  
X 2π 2π
f [n] = F [k] cos( nk) + j sin( nk)
N N
k=0

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra

Inverse Discrete Fourier transform
2-D DFT

N−1
X M−1
1 X −j2π( mu + nv )
F [u, v ] = √ f [m, n]e M N =
MN n=0 m=0
N−1
X M−1
1 mu nv mu nv
X  
= √ f [m, n] cos(2π( + )) − j sin(2π( + ))
MN n=0 m=0 M N M N

2-D IDFT

N−1
X M−1
1 X j2π( mu + nv )
f [m, n] = √ F [u, v ]e M N =
MN v =0 u=0
N−1
X M−1
1 mu nv mu nv
X  
= √ F [u, v ] cos(2π( + )) + j sin(2π( + ))
MN v =0 u=0 M N M N

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra

DFT Basis functions

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra

DFT of the image
Every image I (with real, finite pixel values) can be
represented as a weighted sum of the 2-D Fourier basis
functions.

The spectrum of the image is made up of the absolute values

of the coefficients of this sum |F [u, v ]|.

Spectrum is usually shifted such that |F [0, 0]| is in the center

of the matrix F .

The phase angle of the image is φ[u, v ] = tan−1 ( Imag{F [u,v ]}

real{F [u,v ]} ).

The Fourier transform in polar coordinates is

F [u, v ] = |F [u, v ]|e−jφ[u,v ] .
Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra
Centering the Fourier spectrum

To center the Fourier spectrum: multiply the image by (−1)m+n .

X M−1
N−1
1 X m+n −j2π( mu + nv )
F̂ [u, v ] = √ f [m, n](−1) e M N =
MN n=0 m=0

X M−1
N−1
1 X jπ(m+n) −j2π( mu + nv )
= √ f [m, n]e e M N =
MN n=0 m=0
N−1
X M−1 m(u−M/2) n(v −N/2)
1 X −j2π( + )
= √ f [m, n]e M N
MN n=0 m=0

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra

Spectrum of the image

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra

Filtering an image in the frequency domain

Multiply image by (−1)m+n .

Compute the DFT of the image.

Element-by-element multiplication with the DFT of the filter

H (convolution in the spatial domain is multiplication in the
frequency domain).

Compute the IDFT (real part).

Multiply image by (−1)m+n .

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra

Filtering an image in the frequency domain

Ayelet Heimowitz Computer Vision, Image Processing and Computational Photogra