TOPIC 3- FOURIER SERIES

3.0 FOURIER SERIES

Fourier series is an accurate representation of a periodic signal/function and consists of

the sum of sinusoids at the fundamental and harmonic frequencies.

Fourier series is an expansion of a function in series of sine and cosine.

3.1 Identify periodic and non-periodic function

i. A Periodic Signal/function:

- is a signal that repeats itself every period.

ii. Non periodic signal/function:

- the number of sinusoidal components of each different frequency,

magnitude and phase shift.

Example :

3.1.2 Types of Fourier series function:

i. Trigonometric Fourier Series

ii. Complex/exponent function

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i. The Trigonometric Fourier Series

n 
f (t )  a0   [an cos(n t )  bn sin(n t )]
n 1

a0 - a dc component or average value of f (t)

an and bn - amplitude of the sinusoidal in the ac component

a0 , an and bn are the coefficients of Fourier series.

2
 - fundamental frequency / first harmonic of f (t) ,  
T
n - nth harmonic frequency

T – period of the function

n – is an integer

T
1
ao 
T 
0
f (t ) dt

T
2
an 
T  f (t ) cos (n t )dt ,
0

T
2
bn 
T  f (t ) sin (n t )dt ,
0

3.1.3 Calculate the coefficients of ao, an and bn of Fourier Series for Trigonometric function.

Example 1: Calculate the fourier coefficients of waveform below:

Step 1 : write an analytic equation

1 0  t  1
f (t )  
0 1  t  2
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Step 2 : write general equation

Periodic function f(t) satisfied :

f(t) = f (t +T)

T=2–0

=2

 f(t) = f (t +2)

Step 3 : calculate angular velocity ; 

2 , T=2

T

2 ,  

2

Step 4 : Calculate ao, an and bn

T
1
ao 
T 
0
f (t ) dt

1 
1 2
ao    1 dt  1 0 dt 
2
0



1 
1
ao    1 dt 
2
0



ao 
1
t  10
2

ao 
1
1  0
2

1
ao 
2
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T
2
an 
T 
0
f (t ) cos (n t )dt ,

2 
1 2
an    (1) cos (n t )dt   (0) cos (n t )dt 
2
0 1



1 
  (1) cos (n t )dt
an  1 

0 

 sin n t 
1

an  1 
 n 0

 sin n (1)   sin n (0) 

an  1   1 
 n   n 

 0   0 
an  1  1
 n 
  n 


an  0

T
2
bn 
T  f (t ) sin (n t )dt ,
0

2 
1 2
bn  
2
0
 (1) sin (n t )dt  1 (0) sin (n t )dt 



1 
  (1) sin (n t )dt
bn  1 

0 

  cos n t 
1

bn  1 
 n 0

  cos n (1)    cos n (0) 

bn  1   1 
 n   n 

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bn 
1
 cos n (1)   1   cos n (0)
n  n 

bn 
1
 cos n  1
 1
n n

bn 
1
1  cos n 
n

OR

bn 
1
n
 
 (1) n  1 (1)

Cos n = (-1)n

bn 
1
n
 (1)   1)  n
n = 1 , cos = -1
n=2 , cos 2 = 1
n=3 , cos 3  = -1

Step 5: write the Fourier Series function and substitute the value of ao, an and bn.

n 
f (t )  a0   [an cos(n t )  bn sin(n t )]
n 1

1 n  n 
 2 
f (t )    [0]    sin(n t ) , n = 1,3,5,7,…….odd number
2 n 1 n 1  n 

1 2 2 2
f (t )   sin  t  sin 3 t  sin 5 t .................
2 n n n

1 2 2 2
f (t )   (0)  (0)  (0) .................
2 n n n

1
f (t ) 
2

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Example 2: Calculate the coefficients of ao, an and bn of Fourier Series for the equation
below:

1 0  t  1
f (t )  
0 1  t  2

Step 1 : sketch the waveform

Step 2 : calculate angular velocity ;  (refer to example 1)

Step 3: calculate ao, an and bn (refer to example 1)

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Exercise

1. Referring to waveform below, write the analytical equation and fourier series
coefficient:

Answer
3 0  t  4

a. a. f (t )  5 4  t  7
0 7  t  10


1  0.5  t  0.5
b. f (t )  
0 0.5  t  1.5

3    t  0.
c. f (t )  
 3 0.  t  

4    t  0.

d. f (t )   4 t
   4 0t 

b. V
e. f (t )   n t 0.  t  T
T

c.

d.

e.

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ii. Complex/exponential function

n 
f (t )  a0   [an cos(n t )  bn sin(n t )]
n 1

Using the Complex Exponential representation of Sine and Cosine, the Fourier series can be
written as:

 1 1 jno t  jno t 
   

f (t )  a0   an e jno t  e jno t  bn e e 
n 1  2 2j 

Noting that 1/j = -j, we can write:

   

 1 j 
f (t )  a0   an e jno t  e jno t  bn e jno t  e jno t 
n 1  2 2 


1 
f (t )  a0    an  jbn  e jno t  an  jbn  e jno t 
1
n 1  2 2 

Make the following substitutions:

1 1
c0  a0 , cn  (an  jbn ), cn  (an  jbn )
2 2


1 
f (t )  a0    an  jbn e jno t  an  jbn e jno t 
1
n 1  2 2 

 

f (t )  c0   cne jno t  c ne jno t
n 1


f (t )  c
n  
n e jno t

T
1
cn   f (t ) e  jn0t dt
T0

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Example 1: Find the 5th harmonic of complex Fourier Series for waveform below and sketch
the line spectrum:

Step 1 : write the analytic equation:

1 0  t  1
f (t )  
0 1  t  2

Step 2 : Write general equation :

f(t) = f(t + T)

= f(t + 2)

Step 3 : Calculate angular velocity ; 

One complete cycle of the waveform, T = 2

2

T
2

2
 

Step 4 : Calculate C0, C1 until C5

 

f (t )  c0   cne jno t  c ne jno t
n 1

T
1
 f (t )e
 jn 0 t
cn  dt
T 0

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T
1
co   f (t )e j ( 0)t dt
20

T
1
co   f (t )dt
20

1 2
1 1
co   (1)dt   (0)dt
20 21

co  t 0
1 1
2

co 
1
1  0
2

1
co 
2

T
1
 f (t )e
 jn 0 t
cn  dt
T 0

1 2
1 1
cn   (1)e jnt dt   (0)e jnt dt
20 21

1
1
cn   (1)e  jnt dt
20

1
1  e jnt 
cn   
2   jn  0

cn 
1
 j 2n
e jnt  
1
0

cn 
1
 j 2n

e jn (1)  e jn ( 0) 

cn 
1
 j 2n

e jn (1)  1 
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cn 
1
 j 2n

e jn (1)  1 

Using eular identity:

e jnt  cos nt  j sin nt

e jnt  cos nt  j sin nt

cn 
1
cos n  j sin n  1
 j 2n

n=1 : c1 
1
cos(1)  j sin(1)  1 , n=-1 : c1 
1
cos(1)  j sin(1)  1
 j 2(1)  j 2(1)

c1 
1
cos   j sin   1 c1 
1
cos( )  j sin(1 )  1
 j 2 j 2

c1 
1
(1)  0  1 c1 
1
(1)  0  1
 j 2
j 2

c1 
1
(2)  c1 
1
(2) 
 j 2 j 2
1
c1 
1 c1 
j  j

n =2 : c2 
1
cos(2)  j sin(2)  1 , n =-2: c 2  1
cos(2)  j sin(2)  1
 j 2(2)  j 2(2)

c2 
1
1  0  1 c 2 
1
1  0  1
 j 2(2)  j 2(2)

c2  0 c 2  0

n=3 c3 
1
cos(3)  j sin(3)  1 , n=-3 c3 
1
cos(3)  j sin(3)  1
 j 2(3)  j 2(3)

c3 
1
 1  0  1
c3 
1
 1  0  1  j 2(3)
 j 2(3)

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c3 
1
 2 c3 
1
 2
 j 2(3)
 j 2(3)
1 1
c3  c3 
j 3  j (3)

n=4 , c4 
1
cos(4)  j sin(4)  1 , n=-4, c 4 
1
cos(4)  j sin(4)  1
 j 2(4)  j 2(4)

c4 
1
1  0  1
 j 2(4) c 4 
1
1  0  1
 j 2(4)

c4  0 c 4  0

n=5 c5 
1
cos(5)  j sin(5)  1 , n=5 c5  1
cos(5)  j sin(5)  1
 j 2(5)  j 2(5)

c5 
1
 1  0  1 c5 
1
 1  0  1
 j 2(5)  j 2(5)

c5 
1
 2 c 5 
1
 2
 j 2(5)
 j 2(5)

1
1 c5 
c5   j (5)
j (5)

 

f (t )  c0   cne jno t  c ne jno t
n 1

1 1 1 1 1
f (t )      
j5 j3 2 j3 j5

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Step 5 : Sketch the line spectrum

Line Spectrum

Line Spectra refer to the plotting of discrete coefficients corresponding to their

frequencies.

For a periodic signal f(t), cn, n = 0, ±1, ± 2,… are uniquely determined from f(t).

Because cn appears only at discrete frequencies, n(wo), n = 0, ± 1, ± 2,… the set cn is called
the discrete frequency spectrum or line spectrum of f(t).

Cn

n
-5-5 -3
-2 -1 1 3 5

0.5

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Identify odd and even functions.

i. even functions :
f(q

The value of the function would be the same when we walk equal distant as a long the
x-axis in opposite direction.

f (t )  f (t )

n 
f (t )  a0  [an cos(n t )]
n 1

T
2

 f t  dt
2
a0 
T 0

T
2 T
an   f t  cos not dt
2
 f t  cos n t dt
4
an  o OR
T 0 T 0

bn  0

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ii. Odd function

f(q

The value of the function would change its sign, but with the same magnitude when we
walk equal distant as a long the x-axis in opposite direction.

f (t )   f (t )

n 
f (t )  [bn sin(n t )]
n 1

a0  0

an  0

T
2 T

 f t  sin nω t dt
4
bn   f t  sin nωo t dt
2
bn  o or
T 0 T 0

Summary

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iii. Half wave (odd) symmetric function

 T
f  t     f (t )
 2

Fourier coefficient

ao  0

T
2
4
an 
T  f (t ) cos n
0
0 t dt for n odd

T
2
4
bn 
T  f (t ) sin n
0
0 t dt for n odd

an  0
for n even

bn  0

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Exercise : Calculate the Fourier series coefficients of the waveform below:

1.

2.

3.

4.

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