CTFS Mastery Explained

Hell yeah, Taha. Buckle up — I'm about to teach you Continuous-Time Fourier Series (CTFS)
like a damn master, so you can strut into your exam and destroy it with A++++ confidence.

We’re diving deep from core concepts to practical tricks. Ready? Let’s roll. 🔥

🎯 The Big Idea

What’s the point of CTFS?
If you’ve got a periodic signal x(t), CTFS tells you:

“Hey, any periodic signal can be written as a sum of sinusoids.”

In nerd-speak:
We express x(t) as a linear combination of harmonically-related complex sinusoids.

💡 Core Concept
The CTFS formula (called the synthesis equation) is:
∞
x(t) = ∑ ck ejkω0 t
​ ​
​

k=−∞

Where:

ck are the Fourier series coefficients

​

2π
ω0 = ​

T
​ is the fundamental frequency

ejkω0 t are the basis functions (sinusoids at different harmonics)

​

🔍 How to Find the Coefficients c k ​

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Use the analysis equation:

1
ck =
​ ​∫ x(t)e−jkω0 t dt
​
​

T T

This is just a projection of x(t) onto the complex exponential ejkω0 t . Think of it like finding ​

how much of that harmonic is inside your signal.

📏 Forms of the Fourier Series

1. Complex Exponential Form (default form):
∞
x(t) = ∑ ck ejkω0 t ​ ​
​

k=−∞

2. Trigonometric Form (for real signals):

∞
x(t) = a0 + ∑ [ak cos(kω0 t) + bk sin(kω0 t)]
​ ​ ​ ​

k=1

Where:

ak = 2 ⋅ Re{ck }
​ ​

bk = −2 ⋅ Im{ck }
​ ​

3. Polar (Amplitude-Phase) Form:

∞
x(t) = c0 + 2 ∑ ∣ck ∣ cos(kω0 t + θk )
​ ​ ​ ​ ​

k=1

Where:

∣ck ∣ is the magnitude

​

θk = arg(ck ) is the phase angle

​ ​

🧠 Useful Properties (You MUST Know These)

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 1. Conjugate Symmetry: If x(t) is real →

c−k = c∗k​ ​

2. Even Signal → Im{ck } ​ =0

3. Odd Signal → Re{ck } ​ =0

⚙️ Step-by-Step: How to Find the CTFS

1. Find T (period of the signal)
2π
2. Compute ω0 ​ = T
​

3. Plug into analysis equation:

1
ck =
​ ​
∫ x(t)e−jkω0 t dt
​
​

T T
4. Simplify ck ​

5. Write the final series using synthesis form

📈 Spectrum (Magnitude & Phase)

Magnitude Spectrum: Plot ∣ck ∣ vs frequency kω0 ​ ​

Phase Spectrum: Plot ∠ck vs frequency ​

Real signals → magnitude is even, phase is odd.

🧨 Example: Square Wave

Suppose:

x(t) = {
A, 0 ≤ t < T /2
−A, T /2 ≤ t < T
​ ​

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The result of computing CTFS gives:

−j2A
ck = { πk , ​ k odd
0, k even
​ ​ ​

So the Fourier series becomes:

∞
−j2A jkω0 t
x(t) = ∑ ​ e ​
​

πk
k=−∞
k odd ​

🚨 Important Theorems (Know These Names)

Dirichlet Conditions: When CTFS works (finite discontinuities, finite max/min, integrable)

Gibbs Phenomenon: Ripples near jumps in the signal that don’t go away

🔌 Fourier Series + LTI Systems

If:

FS
x(t) ↔ ck ​ and y(t) = H{x(t)}

Then:

FS
y(t) ↔ H(jkω0 ) ⋅ ck ​ ​

It means an LTI system scales each frequency component by the system's frequency
response at that harmonic.

🔊 Filtering via CTFS

Want to kill high frequencies? Multiply unwanted ck values by zero → voilà, lowpass filter.
​

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Example:

H(jω) = {
1, ∣ω∣ ≤ ωc
​

0, otherwise
​ ​

🧪 Practice Strategy
1. Master at least 3 examples: square wave, impulse train, triangle wave.

2. Practice computing ck with the integral

​

3. Plot the magnitude & phase spectra

4. Use symmetry properties to check your work

5. Do problems with LTI system + filtering

If you want, I can now:

Solve problems with you step-by-step

Give you a CTFS cheat sheet

Drill you with practice problems

Walk through MATLAB problems too if you like

Let me know where you wanna go from here, boss. 😎💥

🔥 That’s the spirit, Taha! Let’s dive into the Complex Exponential Form and solve a full
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Fourier Series problem together — step by freakin’ step — so you OWN this thing. 💪

💥 Problem Setup
Let’s start with a classic:

⚙️ Given:
5/8
 x(t) = {
1, 0≤t<1
0, 1≤t<2
​ ​

This signal is periodic with period T = 2.

You and I are gonna find the Fourier Series coefficients ck using the complex exponential ​

form:

1
ck =
​ ∫ x(t) ⋅ e−jkω0 t dt
​ ​
​

T T

🚦 Step 1: Find ω 0 ​

2π 2π
ω0 = = =π
2
​ ​ ​

🧠 Step 2: Use the Definition

We’ll use the interval 0 ≤ t < 2, but since x(t) = 1 only from 0 to 1, and 0 elsewhere in the
period:

1 1
ck = ∫ 1 ⋅ e−jkπt dt
2 0
​ ​ ​

✍️ Step 3: Solve the Integral

1 1 −jkπt
ck = ∫ e dt
2 0
​ ​ ​

This is a standard exponential integral:

1
1 e−jkπt 1 1
ck = [ ] = ⋅ (e−jkπ − 1)
2 −jkπ 0 2 −jkπ
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

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Now remember:

e−jkπ = cos(kπ) − j sin(kπ) = (−1)k

So:

1 1
ck = ⋅ ((−1)k − 1)
2 −jkπ
​ ​ ​

🧠 Step 4: Simplify the Final Formula

Let’s write it neatly:

1
ck = ((−1)k − 1)
−2jkπ
​ ​ ​

This is your general expression for all k  0.

=
For k = 0, we just compute:

1 1 1
c0 = ∫ 1 dt =
2 0 2
​ ​ ​ ​

✅ Final Answer
ck = {
1
2,
​ k=0
1
((−1)k − 1) , k
=0
​ ​ ​ ​

−2jkπ
​

🔎 What It Means
For even k : (−1)k = 1 ⇒ ck = 0
​

1 1
For odd k : (−1)k = −1 ⇒ ck = ​

−2jkπ
(−2) ​ = jkπ
​

7/8
So:

⎧ 12 , k=0
ck = ⎨ jkπ
​

1
, k odd
⎩
​ ​ ​ ​ ​

0, k even and 
=0

🎯 Your Turn?
Wanna do one together where you try each step and I correct you?
Or want me to give you a trickier one next?

Your call, chief 😎

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