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Fourier series
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Fourier series: the "atoms" of math
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Fourier series

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Key People:
Joseph Fourier
Siméon-Denis Poisson
Related Topics:
trigonometric series
Fourier series: the "atoms" of math
Fourier series: the "atoms" of mathBrian Greene discusses the Fourier series, a remarkable discovery of Joseph Fourier, which has profound applications in both math and physics. This video is an episode in his Daily Equation series.
See all videos for this article

Fourier series, in mathematics, an infinite series used to solve special types of differential equations. It consists of an infinite sum of sines and cosines, and because it is periodic (i.e., its values repeat over fixed intervals), it is a useful tool in analyzing periodic functions. Though investigated by Leonhard Euler, among others, the idea was named for Joseph Fourier, who fully explored its consequences, including important applications in engineering, particularly in heat conduction.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Barbara A. Schreiber.