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A Fourier transform of hyperbolic tangent
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Hello
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I am trying to determine the fourier transform of the
W Ref: "Standard" Action of S^1 on hyperbolic tangent function. I don't have a lot of experience
S^n ? with Fourier transforms and after searching for a bit I've
come up empty handed on this specific issue.
Hölder and log-Hölder
continuity
Top 7 Admin Tools So what I want to calculate is:
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started.
∞
−itω
∫ e tanh(bt)dt
−∞

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where b is some constant.

bt −bt

Using tanh(bt) leads to a mess of exponential functions, and does not bring me closer to a
e −e
=
bt −bt
e +e

solution. Perhaps there is some other way, using tricks specific to calculating Fourier transforms that
could be helpful here?

Any suggestions are most appreciated

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Oct 5, 2016  #2
 blue_leaf77  :2,629
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I don't think the integral converges.

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WolframAlpha returns

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Ft [tanh(t)](ω) = i√ csch ( )
2 2

W Ref: "Standard" Action of S^1 on

S^n ?
which I'm hoping to obtain analytically
Hölder and log-Hölder
continuity

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Oct 5, 2016  #4

jasonRF  :1,213
J  Science Advisor  Gold Member  : 259

This is an interesting problem. The original integral does not exist as a classical Riemann integral, but
the Fourier transform exists, at least as a generalized function (ie, in the same way that
, or F , where sgn(t) = 1 for t>0 and -1 for t<0, and P refers to
1
F [1] (ω) = 2πδ(ω) [sgn(t)] (ω) = 2 P
ω

the principle part).

One way to proceed may be to use the fact that , so that

d 2
tanh(t) = sech (t)
dt

. Now you have an integral, F that is nicely

2 2
iωF [tanh(t)] (ω) = F [sech (t)] (ω) [sech (t)] (ω)

behaved as in improper Riemann integral, and you may be able apply contour integration or some
other technique.

∞
Note that in the above I have been assuming the definition F [f (t)](ω) = ∫
−∞
dt e
−iωt
f (t) . I think
Wolfram has the 2π in the exponent, so if you just ask for the fourier transform the constants won't be
the same. So while the result from Wolframalpha may have constants that are not quite right for your
definition of the Fourier transform, qualitatively the result seems plausible. This is because csch(ω)
qualitatively looks like (especially near zero, which is what matters when b is large), and as b ,
1
→ ∞
ω

tanh(bt) seems to "converge" (in the sense of distributions) to sgn(t).

 Jason
Last edited: Oct 5, 2016

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jjr and blue_leaf77

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Update: using contour integration I find
2 ∞ 2 πω
−iωt
F [sech (t)] (ω) = ∫ dt e sech (t) = πω csch ( )
−∞ 2
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Ref: "Standard" Action of S^1 on What do you get?

W
S^n ?
Jason
Hölder and log-Hölder
continuity
edit: by the way, I think (although I am not sure) that this
means that the answer to your original problem is,
).
πω
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2

 If 
you aren't
 worried
  about
specifying how to treat the singularity at ω = 0 then you can get rid of the
principle part and use
πω
F [tanh(t)] (ω) = −i π csch ( )
2

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Last edited: Oct 6, 2016

jjr

Oct 7, 2016  #6

jjr   :51
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jasonRF said: 

Update: using contour integration I find

2 ∞ 2 πω
−iωt
F [sech (t)] (ω) = ∫ dt e sech (t) = πω csch ( )
−∞ 2

What do you get?

Jason
 edit: by the way, I think (although I am not sure) that this means that the answer to your original problem is,
.
πω
F [tanh(t)] (ω) = −i π P csch ( )
2

If you aren't worried about specifying how to treat the singularity at ω = 0 then you can get rid of the principle
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part and use VALUES
πω
F [tanh(t)] (ω) = −i π csch ( )
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I ended grammar
going and spelling route. I was working with the tanh(t) function because I needed
a different
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something that closely resembles the error function erf(t) = dt , for which I initially
′2
1 −t ′
∫ e
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couldn't find the F.T. I managed to calculate it after all, and so didn't need the F.T. of tanh(t).
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own help. Since this seems to be a rather unique question hopefully the thread can help
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J
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