Help with Fourier coefficients for sin 2x

KFS

New member
Joined
Jun 15, 2018
Messages
34
Hello.
(Refer to the picture, Exercise 75.)
I don't think I really understand these formulas. I integrated and found
[math]a_m= \frac{1}{\pi} \int_{0}^{2\pi} \sin 2x cos mx \, dx= \frac{2cos({2\pi m})-2}{{\pi}(m^2-4)}[/math]Now, I don't know how to find m. I read that for any odd function [math]a_m=0[/math]So in this case, for [math]f(x)=sin(2x)[/math] [math]a_m=0[/math] I believe this is because areas cancel each other
My real struggle starts with [math]b_m[/math] From the formula given by the book I know that [math]b_m= \frac{1}{\pi} \int_{0}^{2\pi} f(x)sin(mx)dx[/math]Integrating this with [math]f(x)=sin(2x)[/math] I obtain [math]b_m= \frac{2sin(2\pi m)}{\pi (m^2-4)}[/math]Again my problem is with m. I don't know how to find m. And once I know m what do I have to do? Plug m in both formulas for [math]a_m[/math] and [math]b_m[/math] and find both integrals?
Thank you for your time, and please feel free to write back if I typed something wrong or I didn't provide enough information.
 

Attachments

  • Fourier.jpg
    Fourier.jpg
    117.2 KB · Views: 7
You should know exactly what 2cos(2πm)−2 and 2sin(2πm) equals given that m is a natural number (possibly including 0).
You have a_1, a_2, a_3, ..., a_m, ...
 
Did you notice that for m=2 the denominator of your result is 0 ?
 
Did you notice that for m=2 the denominator of your result is 0 ?
Yes I did, that's something I don't understand either. According to the book for [math]b_m[/math] m=2 is a valid solution because "it is not zero there".
 
You should know exactly what 2cos(2πm)−2 and 2sin(2πm) equals given that m is a natural number (possibly including 0).
You have a_1, a_2, a_3, ..., a_m, ...
The book didn't give any more information thant that on the picture. I find it strange since, until now, the book has not mentioned anything about Fourier coefficients nor Fourier series. Is there any way to find "all m's values"?
 
The book didn't give any more information thant that on the picture. I find it strange since, until now, the book has not mentioned anything about Fourier coefficients nor Fourier series. Is there any way to find "all m's values"?
The way I understand the task you are not expected to find [imath]m[/imath]. Instead, you are supposed to find [imath]a_m, b_m[/imath] for every non-negative [imath]m[/imath].

Did you understand post #2 by @Steven G ?
 
The way I understand the task you are not expected to find [imath]m[/imath]. Instead, you are supposed to find [imath]a_m, b_m[/imath] for every non-negative [imath]m[/imath].

Did you understand post #2 by @Steven G ?
How do I do it? I've thought using double angle trigonometric formulas. Am I right?
Thanks for helping.
 
How do I do it? I've thought using double angle trigonometric formulas. Am I right?
Thanks for helping.
Think about the periodicity of [imath]\sin(x)[/imath] and [imath]\cos(x)[/imath]
[math]\sin(2\pi)=?\\ \sin(2\pi \times 2)=?\\ \sin(2\pi \times 3)=?\\ \vdots \\ \sin(2\pi \times m)=?\\[/math]

[math]\cos(2\pi \times 1)=?\\ \cos(2\pi \times 2)=?\\ \cos(2\pi \times 3)=?\\ \vdots\\ \cos(2\pi \times m)=?\\[/math]
 
Last edited:
Think about the periodicity of [imath]\sin(x)[/imath] and [imath]\cos(x)[/imath]
[math]\sin(2\pi)=?\\ \sin(2\pi \times 2)=?\\ \sin(2\pi \times 3)=?\\ \vdots \\ \sin(2\pi \times m)=?\\[/math]

[math]\cos(2\pi \times 1)=?\\ \cos(2\pi \times 2)=?\\ \cos(2\pi \times 3)=?\\ \vdots\\ \cos(2\pi \times m)=?\\[/math]
So for [math]a_m=\frac{2cos(2\pi m)-2}{\pi (m^2-4)}[/math] it is always 0 because [math]cos(2\pi m)[/math] is 1 for 0, [math]2\pi[/math], [math]4\pi[/math]... Making the numerator 2-2=0.
Correct? But for m=2 the denominator is 0, I don't understand that.
Also for [math]b_m=\frac{2sin(2\pi m)}{\pi (m^2-4)}[/math] [math]2sin(2\pi m)[/math] is 0 for m=0, 1, 2, ... .
But again the denominator becomes 0 for m=2.
Am I correct?
Thank you.
 
So for [math]a_m=\frac{2cos(2\pi m)-2}{\pi (m^2-4)}[/math] it is always 0 because [math]cos(2\pi m)[/math] is 1 for 0, [math]2\pi[/math], [math]4\pi[/math]... Making the numerator 2-2=0.
Correct? But for m=2 the denominator is 0, I don't understand that.
Also for [math]b_m=\frac{2sin(2\pi m)}{\pi (m^2-4)}[/math] [math]2sin(2\pi m)[/math] is 0 for m=0, 1, 2, ... .
But again the denominator becomes 0 for m=2.
Am I correct?
Thank you.
Yes, it's 0 everywhere except for m =2 as pointed out above.

[math]a_2 = \dfrac{1}{\pi} \int_{0}^{2\pi} \underbrace{\sin(2x)\cos(2x)}_{\text{odd function}} ~ dx = 0[/math]
Can you integrate when m=2?

[math]b_2 = \dfrac{1}{\pi} \int_{0}^{2\pi} \sin(2x)\sin(2x)~ dx = ?[/math]
 
Yes, it's 0 everywhere except for m =2 as pointed out above.

[math]a_2 = \dfrac{1}{\pi} \int_{0}^{2\pi} \underbrace{\sin(2x)\cos(2x)}_{\text{odd function}} ~ dx = 0[/math]
Can you integrate when m=2?

[math]b_2 = \dfrac{1}{\pi} \int_{0}^{2\pi} \sin(2x)\sin(2x)~ dx = ?[/math]
Yes, sure I can integrate that. Let me write it to see if I finally understood:
First I must check if [math]\int_{0}^{2\pi}f(x)cos(mx)dx[/math] and [math]\int_{0}^{2\pi}f(x)sin(mx)dx[/math] are odd so I can know if [math]a_m=0[/math]Then I integrate both [math]a_m[/math] (if it's not odd) and [math]b_m[/math] and then I find for what values of m the integrals do not exist/are defined. And finally integrate with the corresponding value of m.
Is that correct?
 
... Making the numerator 2-2=0.
I hope that you know that there is at least one fraction whose numerator equals 0, yet the fraction is not 0.
So just checking for the numerator to verify that a fraction equals to 0 is not a good thing to do.
 
Top