Fourier transform

[ foor-ee-ey trans-fawrm, -ee-er ]

noun

, Mathematics.

1. a mapping of a function, as a signal, that is defined in one domain, as space or time, into another domain, as wavelength or frequency, where the function is represented in terms of sines and cosines. : FT

Fourier transform

noun

1. an integral transform, used in many branches of science, of the form F( x ) = [1/√(2π)]ʃe ^ixyf( y )d y , where the limits of integration are from –∞ to +∞ and the function F is the transform of the function f

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fourier transform¹

First recorded in 1920–25; Fourier analysis