Applied Engineering Analysis

- slides for class teaching*

Chapter 5
Overview of Fourier Series

* Based on the book of “Applied Engineering

Analysis”, by Tai-Ran Hsu, published by John
Wiley & Sons, 2018 (ISBN 9781119071204)

(Chapter 5 Fourier series)

© Tai-Ran Hsu

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Chapter learning objectives:

• Appreciate that the Fourier series are the mathematical form for periodic physical phenomena.
• Learn to use Fourier series to represent periodical physical phenomena in engineering analysis.
• Learn the required conditions for deriving Fourier series.
• Appreciate the principle of using Fourier series derived from the function for one period to apply the
same Fourier series for other periods.
• Derive the mathematical expressions of Fourier series representing common physical phenomena.
• Understand the convergence of Fourier series of continuous periodic functions.
• Understand the convergence of Fourier series of piecewise continuous functions.
• Understand the convergence of Fourier series at discontinuities.

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Introduction of Fourier Series

The inventor: Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (1749-1829), a French mathematician.

Major contributions to engineering analysis:

● Mathematical theory of heat conduction (Fourier law of heat conduction in Chapter 7).

● Fourier series representing periodical functions.

● Fourier transform: Similar to Laplace transform, but for transforming functions with variables in the
range of (-∞ and +∞) - a powerful tool in engineering analysis.

The function that describes a specific physical quantity by the Fourier series can be used to represent the same periodic
physical quantity in the entire spectrum of which the variable of the function covers.

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Periodic Physical Phenomena are common in our day-to-day lives:

Motions of ponies in a go-round

Forces on the needle in a sewing machine

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Machines with Periodic Physical Phenomena – Cont’d

A stamping
machine involving
cyclic punching
of sheet metals
Sheet metal

Mass, M
x(t)
Elastic
foundation

In a 4-stroke internal
combustion engine:
Cyclic gas pressures
on cylinders,
and forces on connecting
rod and crank shaft

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 The periodic variation of gas pressure in the cylinder head
of a 4-stoke internal combustion engine:

1 - Intake
Pressure, P

The P-V Diagram

3 4 2 - Compression
P = gas pressure
in cylinders 3 - Combustion
2
1 5 4 - Expansion
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5 - Exhaust
Volume, V or Stoke, L
But the stroke l varies with time of the rotating crank shaft, so the
time-varying gas pressure is illustrated as:
Period T Period T
Pressure, P(t)

So, P(t) is a periodic function

with period T
1 2 3 4 5
Time, t
One revolution Next revolution
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Mathematical expressions for different kinds of periodical signals
from an oscilloscope:

Continuous function

Piece‐wise continuous function)

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 FOURIER SERIES – The mathematical
representation of periodic physical phenomena
● Mathematical expression for periodic functions:

● If f(x) is a periodic function with variable x in ONE period 2L

● Then f(x) = f(x±2L) = f(x±4L) = f(x± 6L) = f(x±8L)=……….=f(x±2nL)
where n = any integer number
f(x)
Period: ( -π, π) or (0, 2π)

x
-3π -2π -π 0 π 2π 3π

(a) Periodic function with period (-π, π)

Period = 2L: f(t)

t
-L 0 2L 3L
-3Lt-4L -2L t-2L Lt

(b) Periodic function with period (-L, L) 8

 Mathematical Expressions of Fourier Series

● Required conditions for deriving Fourier series:

● The mathematical expression of the periodic function f(x) in one period

must be available
● The function in one period is defined in an interval (c < x < c+2L)
in which c = 0 or any arbitrarily chosen value of x, and L = half period
● The function f(x) and its first order derivative f’(x) are either continuous
or piece-wise continuous in c < x < c+2L
● The mathematical expression of Fourier series for periodic function f(x) is:
a0   nx nx 
f ( x)     a n Cos  bn Sin   f  x  2 L   f  x  4 L   ....... (5.1)
2 n 1  L L 
where ao, an and bn are Fourier coefficients, to be determined by the following integrals:
1 c2 L nx
an  
L c
f ( x) Cos
L
dx n  0,1, 2, 3,.................. (5.2a)

1 c2L nx
L c
bn  f ( x ) Sin dx n  1, 2, 3,.................. (5.2b)
L
Occasionally the coefficient a0, as a special case of an with n = 0 in Equation (5.2a) needs to be 
determined separately by the following integral:
1 c2 L
a0   f  x dx (5.2c)
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L c
Example 5.1 (p.155)

Derive a Fourier series for a periodic function with period (-π, π):

We realize that the period of this function 2L = π – (-π) = 2π. The half period is L = π.
If we choose c = -π, we will have c+2L = -π + 2π = π

Thus, by using Equations (5.1) and (5.2), we will have:

a0   nx nx 
f ( x)     an Cos  bn Sin 
2 n 1  L  L  
1 c  2 L     2 nx
and an 
L   c  
f ( x) Cos
L 
dx

1 c  2 L     2 nx
bn 
L  
c  
f ( x) Sin
L 
dx

Hence, the Fourier series is:

a0 
f ( x)    a n Cos (nx )  bn Sin (nx )  (5.3)
2 n 1
with 1 
an 
 

f ( x) Cos (nx ) dx n  0,1, 2, 3,.................. (5.4a)

1 
bn 
 

f ( x) Sin (nx ) dx n  1, 2, 3,.................. (5.4b)

We notice the period (-π, π) might not be practical, but it appears to be common in many applied math
textbooks. Here, we treat it as a special case of Fourier series. 10