Fourier Transform (F.

T)
1. The Fourier transform transforms one complex function of a real variable into
another complex function of a (different) real variable.
2. Other definitions of the Fourier transform are also in use which differs in
scaling.
a common alternative, particularly when associated with the Laplace transform,
is:
𝑓(𝑡) ⟷ 𝐹(𝜔)
∞
𝐹(𝜔) = ∫−∞ 𝑓(𝑡)𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝑡 . 𝑑𝑡 ………………..(1)

and the inverse F.T is:

1 ∞
𝑓(𝑡) = ∫ 𝐹(𝜔)𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 . 𝑑𝜔 …………………(2)
2𝜋 −∞

1. The spectral density function

Therefore:- 𝐹{𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕(𝒕⁄𝝉)} = 𝝉 𝑺𝒂(𝝎𝝉⁄𝟐)
2. Parseval's theorem for energy signals

3. Some Functions of Fourier Transform

A-impulse function

1 t 0
 (t )  
0 otherwise
Solution

F ( )    (t )e  jt dt  1

B-Complex exponential function

f (t )  e j0t
Solution
Using the frequency domain shifting property, and symmetry property
 (t ) 
1
 2 ( )
1
e j0t 
 2 (  0 )

C-Sine function

f ( x)  sin(0 x)

Solution

sin(0t ) 
2j

1 j 0 t  j  0 t
e e 
e j 0 t 
  (  0 )
e  j 0 t 
  (  0 )

F ( ) 
1
 (  0 )   (  0 )
2j

D-Rectangular function
 T T
1  t 
f (t )   2 2
0 otherwise
Solution

 T /2
F ( )   f (t )e  jt dt  e
 j t
dt
 T / 2

 jt T /2  jT / 2
e e  e j T / 2
 
 j T / 2
 j
T
sin( )
 2

2

𝜔𝑇
=𝑇 𝑆𝑎 ( )
2
E-Gaussian function

 at 2
f (t )  e
Solution
2
   2   at  j 
F ( )   e at e  jt dt   e at  jt dt  e

e
2 2
4a  2 a
dt
  
2
 1
e 4a

2a

Some functions in time and frequency domain.

4. Some Properties of F.T.

A-Property1: Linearity of F.T

𝐹{𝑎1 𝑓1 (𝑡) + 𝑎2 𝑓2 (𝑡)} = 𝑎1 𝐹1 (𝜔) + 𝑎2 𝐹2 (𝜔)

𝑎1 𝑓1 (𝑡) + 𝑎2 𝑓2 (𝑡) ⟷ 𝑎1 𝐹1 (𝜔) + 𝑎2 𝐹2 (𝜔)

B-Property2: complex conjugate of F.T

𝐹{𝑓 ∗ (𝑡)} = 𝐹 ∗ (−𝜔)

Proof
∞ ∞ ∗
∗ (𝑡)} ∗ (𝑡)𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝑡 −𝑗𝜔𝑡
𝐹{𝑓 =∫ 𝑓 𝑑𝑡 = [∫ 𝑓(𝑡)𝑒 ] . 𝑑𝑡 = 𝐹 ∗ (−𝜔)
−∞ −∞

C-Property3: Duality

𝐹{𝑓(𝑡)} = 𝐹(𝜔)

𝐹{𝐹(𝑡)} = 2𝜋𝑓(−𝜔)

𝜔 𝑡
Example1:- if it is given that 𝐹{𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡(𝑡)} = 𝑠𝑎( ) , determine 𝐹{𝑠𝑎( )
2 2

Solution
𝜔 𝑡
𝐹(𝜔) = 𝑠𝑎 ( ) 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐹(𝑡) = 𝑠𝑎 ( )
2 2
𝐹 {𝐹 (𝑡)} = 2𝜋𝑓(−𝜔)

𝑡
𝐹{𝐹(𝑡)} = 𝐹 { 𝑠𝑎 ( )} = 2𝜋𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡(−𝜔)
2
D-Property4: Scaling

 F ( )
f (t ) 
1 
f (at ) 
 F ( )
a a
Proof 



f ( at )e jt dt

  
 j x x
at
 x
 

f ( x )e  a 
d
a
1 
 F( )
a a
E-Property5: Time shifting (delay)

𝑓(𝑡) ⟷ 𝐹(𝜔)

𝐹{𝑓(𝑡 − 𝑡0 ) = 𝐹(𝜔)𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝑡0

Proof


 f (t  t )e
 jt
0 dt


t 
t0  x 

f ( x)e  j ( x t0 ) dx



 f ( x )e
 jt 0  jx
e dx


 e  jt0 F ( )

Example2:- Determine the F.T of the two rectangular pulses shown in figure.
(𝑡 + 𝜏⁄2) (𝑡 − 𝜏⁄2)
𝑓(𝑡) = 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 [ ] − 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 [ ] 𝑓(𝑡)
𝜏 𝜏 1
𝑡
𝜏
Solution
𝜔 −𝜏
𝐹(𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡(𝑡)} = 𝑠𝑎 ( )
2 -
Apply property (4) scaling: 1
𝑡 𝜔𝜏 1
𝐹 {𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡 ( )} = 𝜏 𝑆𝑎 ( ) ; 𝑎=
𝜏 2 𝜏

And apply property (5) time shifting:

𝜔𝜏 𝜔𝜏
𝜔𝜏 𝜔𝜏
𝐹{𝑓(𝑡)} = 𝜏 𝑆𝑎 ( ) . 𝑒 𝑗 2 − 𝜏 𝑆𝑎 ( ) . 𝑒 −𝑗 2
2 2

𝜔𝜏 𝜔𝜏
𝜔𝜏
= 𝜏 𝑆𝑎 ( ) [𝑒 𝑗 2 − 𝑒 −𝑗 2 ]
2
Note:- 𝟏
𝒋𝒙 −𝒋𝒙 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟐 𝒙 = (𝟏 − 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐𝒙)
𝜔𝜏 𝜔𝜏 𝒆 −𝒆 𝟐
𝑗 −𝑗 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒙 = 𝟏
𝜔𝜏 𝑒 2 − 𝑒 2 𝟐𝒋 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝒙 = (𝟏 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐𝒙)
= 𝜏 𝑆𝑎 ( ) . 2𝑗 [ ] 𝒆𝒋𝒙 + 𝒆−𝒋𝒙 𝟐
2 2𝑗 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒙 =
𝟐
 𝜔𝜏 𝜔𝜏
= 2𝑗𝜏 𝑆𝑎 ( ) . 𝑠𝑖𝑛
2 2

𝜔𝜏
𝑆𝑖𝑛( ) 𝜔𝜏 4 𝜔𝜏
= 2𝑗𝜏 𝜔𝜏
2
. 𝑠𝑖𝑛 = 𝑗( ) . 𝑠𝑖𝑛2
2 𝜔 2
2

F-Property6: Frequency shift

𝐹{𝑓(𝑡). 𝑒 𝑗𝜔0 𝑡 } = 𝐹(𝜔 − 𝜔𝑜 ) 𝜔𝑜 : 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑟

Proof




f (t )e j0t e  jt dt


 

f (t )e  jt ( 0 ) dt

 F ( y)
 F (  0 )

Example3:- Find F.T of 𝑓(𝑡). 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜔𝑜 𝑡

Solution
𝑓(𝑡) 𝑗𝜔 𝑡
𝑓(𝑡). 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜔𝑜 𝑡 = (𝑒 𝑜 + 𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝑜 𝑡 )
2
𝑓(𝑡) 𝑗𝜔 𝑡 1
𝐹{ (𝑒 𝑜 + 𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝑜 𝑡 )} = [𝐹(𝜔 − 𝜔𝑜 ) + 𝐹(𝜔 + 𝜔𝑜 )]
2 2

H.W.1 Determine K required making the following F.T. pair relation hold:-

1 𝑗𝜋𝑡 −𝑗
𝜔
𝐹 {𝑓 (𝑡 − ) . 𝑒 } = 𝐾𝑒 2 . 𝐹(𝜔 − 𝜋)
2

Answer 𝑲 = 𝒋
G-Property7: Differentiation

𝑑
𝐹 { 𝑓(𝑡)} = 𝑗𝜔𝐹(𝜔)
𝑑𝑡

Proof
Using Inverse F.T
1 ∞
𝑓(𝑡) = ∫ 𝐹(𝜔)𝑒 𝑗𝜔𝑡 . 𝑑𝜔
2𝜋 −∞
𝑑𝑓(𝑡) 1 𝑑 ∞
= ∫ 𝐹(𝜔)𝑒 jωt . 𝑑𝜔
𝑑𝑡 2𝜋 𝑑𝑡 −∞
∞
1 𝜕 jωt
1 ∞
= ∫ 𝐹(𝜔)𝑒 . 𝑑𝜔 = 𝑗𝜔 ∫ 𝐹(𝜔)𝑒 jωt . 𝑑𝜔
2𝜋 −∞ 𝜕𝑡 2𝜋 −∞
∞
𝑑𝑓(𝑡) 1
𝐹{ } = 𝑗𝜔𝐹 { ∫ 𝐹(𝜔)𝑒 jωt . 𝑑𝜔} = 𝑗𝜔𝐹{𝑓(𝑡)}
𝑑𝑡 2𝜋 −∞
𝑑
𝐹 { 𝑓(𝑡)} = 𝑗𝜔𝐹(𝜔)
𝑑𝑡

H-Property8: Integration
𝑡
𝐹(𝜔)
𝐹 {∫ 𝑓(𝜏)𝑑𝜏} =
−∞ 𝑗𝜔

I-Property9: Time convolution

𝐹{𝑓(𝑡)} ⟷ 𝐹(𝜔) ; 𝐹{ℎ(𝑡)} ⟷ 𝐻(𝜔)

𝐹{𝑓(𝑡) ⊛ ℎ(𝑡)} = 𝐹(𝜔). 𝐻(𝜔)

Proof
∞
𝑓(𝑡) ⊛ ℎ(𝑡) = ∫ 𝑓(𝜏)ℎ(𝑡 − 𝜏)𝑑𝜏
−∞
∞ ∞
𝐹{𝑓(𝑡) ⊛ ℎ(𝑡)} = ∫ [∫ 𝑓(𝜏)ℎ(𝑡 − 𝜏)𝑑𝜏] 𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝑡 𝑑𝑡
−∞ −∞
∞ ∞
= ∫ 𝑓(𝜏) [∫ ℎ(𝑡 − 𝜏)𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝑡 𝑑𝑡] 𝑑𝜏
−∞ −∞

Using the time-shift (delay) property

𝐹{ℎ(𝑡 − 𝜏)} = 𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝜏 𝐻(𝜔)
Therefore:-
∞ ∞
−𝑗𝜔𝜏
= ∫ 𝑓(𝜏). 𝐻(𝜔)𝑒 𝑑𝜏 = 𝐻(𝜔) ∫ 𝑓(𝜏)𝑒 −𝑗𝜔𝜏 𝑑𝜏 = 𝐻(𝜔)𝐹(𝜔)
−∞ −∞

𝐹{𝑓(𝑡) ⊛ ℎ(𝑡)} = 𝐹(𝜔). 𝐻(𝜔)

Example4:- Find F.T of 𝑔(𝑡) = 𝑒 −𝑡 𝜇(𝑡) ⊛ 𝑒 −2 𝜇(𝑡) ⊛

Solution

𝐹{𝑓(𝑡) ⊛ ℎ(𝑡)} = 𝐹(𝜔). 𝐻(𝜔)

1 1
𝐹{𝑒 −𝑡 𝜇(𝑡)} = ; 𝐹{𝑒 −2𝑡 𝜇(𝑡)} =
1 + 𝑗𝜔 2 + 𝑗𝜔
1 1 1
𝐹{𝑓(𝑡) ⊛ ℎ(𝑡)} = =
(1 + 𝑗𝜔) (2 + 𝑗𝜔) 2 + 𝑗𝜔 + 2𝑗𝜔 + 𝑗 2 𝜔 2
1
=
2 + 3𝑗𝜔 − 𝜔 2

J-Property10: Frequency convolution

If 𝐹{𝑓1 (𝑡)} = 𝐹1 (𝜔) ; 𝐹{𝑓2 (𝑡)} = 𝐹2 (𝜔)

1
Then 𝐹{𝑓1 (𝑡)𝑓2 (𝑡)} = [𝐹1 (𝜔) ⊛ 𝐹2 (𝜔)]
2𝜋

8
Where 𝐹1 (𝜔) ⊛ 𝐹2 (𝜔) = ∫−∞ 𝐹1 𝐹2 (𝜔 − 𝑢)𝑑𝑢.

H.W.2
Example5:-
H.W.3

Example6:-
Example7:-

H.W.4

Example8:-
Consider the signal (linear sum of two time shifted rectangular pulses)
x(t )  0.5x1 (t  2.5)  x2 (t  2.5)
Solution

X 1 ( j )  2 sin( / 2) X 2 ( j )  2 sin(3 / 2)
 

X ( j )  e j 5 / 2  sin( / 2)  2 sin(3 / 2) 

 

Example9:-
Calculate the response of a CT LTI system with impulse response:
h(t )  ebtu(t ) b0
To the input signal:

x(t )  e atu(t ) a0

Solution
Taking Fourier transforms of both signals:
1 1
H ( j )  , X ( j ) 
b  j a  j
Gives the overall frequency response
1
Y ( j ) 
(b  j )(a  j )
To convert this to the time domain, express as partial fractions:
1  1 1 
Y ( j )    
b  a  (a  j ) (b  j ) 

Therefore, the continues time (CT) system response is:


y(t )  b1a e atu(t )  ebtu(t ) 
Example10:-
Consider an ideal low pass filter in frequency domain:

1 |  | c
H ( j )  
0 |  | c
 X ( j ) |  | c
Y ( j )  
 0 |  | c
Solution
The filter’s impulse response is the inverse Fourier transform
c sin(ct )
h(t )  1
2 

e jt d 
c t
This is an ideal low pass CT filter. However it is non-causal, so this cannot be
manufactured exactly & the time-domain oscillations may be undesirable

H.W.5

Using linearity & time shift calculate the Fourier transform of

x(t )  5e3(t 1)u(t  1)  7e3(t 2)u(t  2)

Tutorial Questions on the Fourier Transform

1.Find the Fourier Transform of the following signal. Sketch a graph of the signal
and one of the magnitude of its frequency spectrum.
x(t )  e for t  0
2 t

0 for t  0
2.Find the Fourier Transform of the following signal. Sketch a graph of the signal
and
one of the magnitude of its frequency spectrum.
x(t )   (t )   (t  t 0 ) where t0 is a constant.
3. a) Imagine a delta function spike in the frequency domain:
X( )   (   0 )
Sketch this frequency spectrum. Now use the sifting property of the delta
function to show that the inverse Fourier Transform of X() is
j 0 t
e
x(t ) 
2
b) Noting that a cosine is the sum of two complex exponentials,
e j t  e  j t
0 0

cos( 0 t )  ,
2
Show that the Fourier Transform of y(t )  cos( 0 t ) is given by
Y( )   [ (   0 )   (   0 )]