Publisher's Synopsis
This book is a concise presentation of Fourier spectral analysis, given through ten chapters. The first chapter is a short review of the biography of Joseph Fourier, the scientist who, in 1807, introduced the concept underlying the spectral analysis of mathematical functions. The second and third chapters cover definitions and a brief description of the sine function and periodic functions in general. Theory and applications of Fourier series and Fourier transform is dealt with in the following four chapters. The two chapters (Ch8 & Ch9) cover spectral analysis of observational data, with real-life examples. The book is concluded with an introductory chapter on the closely associated subject, the Laplace transform.
The book is designed to serve audiences from both the academic and industrial worlds who are concerned with the subject of Fourier spectral analysis. Simplification and clarity are deliberately followed in the presentation of the book material. University students (especially undergraduates) and teaching staff-members, concerned with the subject, will find this book very helpful introductory manual that can be used with only basic mathematical background.