Appendix C: PRACTICE CLASS EXERCISES 99

PC4 Answers
1. (a) Show that the
_
4
2
_
= 6 integrals of dierent pairs of functions from the set are zero.
4 of these integrals are of form
_

odd-function. The other 2, i.e.

_

1 cos x and
_

sin x sin 2x, are easily evaluated.

(b) Since the second set of functions is a subset of the rst, just show that the integral
of the product of some pair of functions from the second set is not zero, e.g.
_

0
1 sin xdx.
2. You dont have to evaluate the integrals, but you should know how. For examples, see the
Proof of orthogonality on p.48, and the solution pointer for Set 10, Q2 on p.78.
(a) Sketch | sin(x/2)| for < x < , and repeat that shape with period p = 2. Here
= 2/p = 1 and f(x) is even. So b
n
= 0 and f(x) =

n=0
a
n
cos nx where
a
0
=
1
2
_

| sin(x/2)| cos 0 dx =
1

_

0
sin(x/2) dx =
2

, by direct integration
a
n>0
=
1

| sin(x/2)| cos nxdx =

2

_

0
sin(x/2) cos nxdx = by parts twice
By Thm. 10.1.1 on page 50
FS = f, x.
There is no Gibbs phenomenon, and
the graph shows close agreement be-
tween f(x) and S
10
.
-2 2 4 6 8
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
(b) Sketch sin(x/2) for < x < , and repeat that shape with period p = 2. Here
= 2/p = 1 and f(x) is odd. So a
n
= 0 and f(x) =

n=1
b
n
sin nx where
b
n
=
1

sin(x/2) sin nxdx = by parts twice

By Thm. 10.1.1 on page 50
FS =
_
f(x) , x = k; k = 1, 3, 5, . . .
0 , x = k; k = 1, 3, 5, . . .
A Gibbs phenomenon overshoot is
present in the partial sums plots
near the jump discontinuities at x =
k (k odd).
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
-1
-0.5
0.5
1
Appendix C: PRACTICE CLASS EXERCISES 100
(c) Sketch f = 0 for < x < 0, and f = sin(x/2) for 0 x < . Repeat that shape
with period p = 2. Here = 2/p = 1, and f is neither even nor odd. So
f =

n=0
(a
n
cos nx + b
n
sin nx)
a
0
=
1
2
__
0

0 dx +
_

0
sin(
x
2
) cos 0 dx
_
=
1

, by direct integration
a
n>0
=
1

__
0

0 dx +
_

0
sin(
x
2
) cos nxdx
_
= by parts twice
b
n
=
1

__
0

0 dx +
_

0
sin(
x
2
) sin nxdx
_
= by parts twice
By Thm. 10.1.1 on page 50
FS =
_
f(x) , x = k; k = 1, 3, 5, . . .
1/2 , x = k; k = 1, 3, 5, . . .
A Gibbs phenomenon overshoot is
present in the partial sums plots
near the jump discontinuities at x =
k (k odd).
-6 -4 -2 2 4 6
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
(d) Sketch f = sin(x/2) for 0 < x < , and repeat that shape with period p = . Here
= 2/ = 2, and f is neither even nor odd. So
f =

n=0
(a
n
cos 2nx + b
n
sin 2nx) (3)
a
0
=
1

_

0
sin(x/2) cos 0 dx = 2/ , by direct integration
a
n>0
=
1
/2
_

0
sin(x/2) cos 2nxdx = by parts twice
b
n
=
1
/2
_

0
sin(x/2) sin 2nxdx = by parts twice
By Thm. 10.1.1 on page 50
FS =
_
f(x) , x = k; k = 1, 2, 3, . . .
1/2 , x = k; k = 1, 2, 3, . . .
A Gibbs phenomenon overshoot is
present in the partial sums plots
near the jump discontinuities at x =
k (k = 1, 2, 3, . . .). -1 1 2 3 4 5
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
Appendix C: PRACTICE CLASS EXERCISES 101
Practice Class 5 Fourier Series continued
Key points : -
Half-range series: Equations (14), (15), (16) and (17) on page 54. These are the same as (1)
and (2) in PC4 on page 98, but account for f(x) being even or odd.
Half-range cosine expansion Half-range sine expansion
f(x) =

n=0
a
n
cos nx , f(x) =

n=1
b
n
sin nx ,
a
n
=
1
N
n
_
L
0
f(x) cos nxdx , b
n
=
1
N
n
_
L
0
f(x) sin nxdx ,
where the period p = 2L, the fundamental frequency = 2/(2L) = /L , and
normalization factor N
n
= (L/2)(1 +
n0
).
Fourier series recipe:-
Sketch the function f(x) and its periodic extension F(x) if relevant.
Write down the period p and the fundamental frequency = 2/p.
Write out the form of the Fourier series, i.e.

n=0
(a
n
cos nx + b
n
sin nx) , taking into
account whether f(x) or F(x) is even (in which case b
n
= 0) or odd (a
n
= 0).
Evaluate the Fourier coecients a
n
and b
n
using formula (7) on page 48, and the
rule-of-thumb on page 55, both of which should be memorized and cover both the
normal and half-range series. (
A
A dierent formula for a
0
applies if the alternative a
0
/2
convention is used see note on page 55.)
1. Apply the above recipe to determine the Fourier series in the following cases. Write
down formulae for a
n
and/or b
n
, and suggest how you might evaluate them. You need
not actually evaluate the integrals. State what values the Fourier series converges to,
and sketch a partial sum, e.g. S
10
, on the same frame as f. Indicate whether a Gibbs
phenomenon is present.
(a) The half-range (i) cosine, (ii) sine expansions of f(t) =
_
1 , 0 t 1 ,
2 t , 1 t 2 .
(b) The half-range (i) cosine, (ii) sine expansions of f(t) = 1 + t
3
, 0 t 1 .
(c) f(x) =
_

_
x , 1 x 0 ,
x
2
, 0 x 1 ,
f(x + 2) , x .
(d)
A
f(x) =
_

_
x , 1 < x 0 ,
x
2
, 0 x < 2 ,
f(x + 3) , x .