Exercises on Fourier Series

Exercise Set 1

1. Find the Fourier series of the function f defined by

−1 if −π < x < 0,
f (x) =
1 if 0 < x < π.

and f has period 2π. What does the Fourier series converge to at x = 0?
∞
4  sin(2n + 1)x
Answer: f (x) ∼ . The series converges to 0. So,
π n=0 (2n + 1)
in order to make the Fourier series converge to f (x) for all x we must
define f (0) = 0.

2. What is the Fourier series of the function f of period 2π defined by

1 if −π < x < 0,
f (x) =
3 if 0 < x < π.

What does the series converge to when x = 0?

∞
4  sin(2n + 1)x
Answer: f (x) ∼ 2 + . The series converges to 2, that
π n=0 (2n + 1)
is, the average value of f around 0, namely, (1 + 3)/2 = 2.

3. Let h be a given number in the interval (0, π). Find the Fourier cosine
series of the function


1 if 0 < x < h,
f (x) =
0 if h < x < π.

 ∞

2h 1  sin(nh)
Answer: f (x) ∼ + cos nx .
π 2 n=1 nh

1
2 The ABC’s of Calculus

4. Calculate the Fourier sine series of the function defined by f (x) = x(π −x)
on (0, π). Use its Fourier representation to find the value of the infinite
series
1 1 1 1
1 − 3 + 3 − 3 + 3 + ....
3 5 7 9
∞
8 sin(2n − 1)x
Answer: f (x) ∼ . Set x = π2 and rearrange terms to
π n=1 (2n − 1)3
π3
get the value .
32
π
5. Let h be a given number in the interval (0, ). Find the Fourier cosine
2
series representation of


 1 if x = 0,




2h − x
f (x) = if 0 < x < 2h,

 2h




0 if 2h < x < π.

where f is of period 2π.

 ∞
2 
2h 1  sin nh
Answer: f (x) ∼ + cos nx
π 2 n=1 nh
π x
6. What is the Fourier sine series of f (x) = − , where 0 < x < π.
4 2
∞
sin 2nx
Answer: f (x) ∼ .
n=1
2n
π x
7. What is the Fourier cosine series of f (x) = − , where 0 < x < π.
4 2
∞
2  cos(2n + 1)x
Answer: f (x) ∼ .
π n=0 (2n + 1)2

8. What is the Fourier sine series of f (x) = x2 where 0 < x < π.

∞
2 
2  π 2
Answer: f (x) ∼ (−1)n+1 + 3 ((−1)n − 1) sin nx.
π n=1 n n

9. Find the Fourier series of f (x) = |x| where −L < x < L.

∞

L 4L  1 (2n + 1)πx
Answer: f (x) ∼ − 2 cos .
2 π n=0 (2n + 1)2 L

10. Calculate the Fourier series of f (x) = x2 where 0 < x < 2π and f has
period 2π.

∞ ∞
4π 2 cos nx sin nx
Answer: f (x) ∼ +4 2
− 4π .
3 n=1
n n=1
n
Functions and their properties 3

11. The function f is defined by f (x) = ex for −L < x < L. Find its Fourier
series.

eL − e−L ∞
(−1)n  nπx
Answer: f (x) ∼ + L(eL − e−L ) cos +
2L n=1
L 2 + n2 π 2 L
∞
n (−1)n−1  nπx
π(eL − e−L ) 2 2 2
sin .
n=1
L +n π L

12. Let a be a given integer. The function f is defined by f (x) = sin ax for
0 < x < π. Find its Fourier cosine series.

Answer:
 ∞


 4a  cos(2n + 1)x

 2 2
if a is even,
 π n=0 a − (2n + 1)

sin ax ∼  

 ∞


 4a 1 cos 2nx

 + if a is odd.
 π 2a2 n=1 a2 − 4n2

13. A function f has the property that f (x + π) = −f (x) for all x. Show that
all its even Fourier coefficients are zero (i.e., a0 = a2 = a4 = a6 = . . . =
0, b2 = b4 = b6 = . . . = 0).
Hint: Show that f must be periodic with period 2π.
14. A function f satisfies the two conditions

f (−x) = f (x)

and f (x + π) = −f (x) for all x. Show that its Fourier coefficients satisfy
a0 = a2 = a4 = a6 = . . . = 0, b1 = b2 = b3 = b4 = . . . = 0).
15. Let f be a function with the properties

f (−x) = −f (x)

and f (x + π) = −f (x) for all x. Show that its Fourier coefficients satisfy
a0 = a1 = a2 = a3 = . . . = 0, b2 = b4 = b6 = . . . = 0).

Suggested Homework Set 1 Do problems 1, 3, 4, 5, 10, 13