Hello,

Does anyone know a good beginner textbook for fourier analysis? I'm currently using boyce and diprima elementary differential equations, but I'm not too fond of it.

 

I think Schaum has some easy readings.

 

I think Schaum has some easy readings.

Yeah, that one is excellent.

It is called Signals and Systems (Schaum outlines) by Hwei Hsu. Excellent value for the money. I bought the Kindle version for about 12 bucks, and the real book is not much more.

The other standard text is Signals and Systems by Oppenheim, et. al

There is also Signals and Systems (with MATLAB computing and Simulink Modeling) by Steven T. Karris

Hmmm, i'm noticing a pattern here. I guess you can just buy any book called "Signals and Systems". Half kidding, of course.

Oppenheim is my favorite, but it is often thought hard to follow by some students, although I obviously disagree with that. But, this book is too damned expensive for me to wholeheartedly recommend in today's economy. What?, $138, are you kidding me? For that money, you can buy the student version of Matlab and the book by Hsu, and still have money left over to take your girl on a date. However, if you can find a cheap used version, it is good to have.

http://www.amazon.com/Signals-Syste...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326153628&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Signals-Syste...7574/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326152930&sr=8-1


http://www.amazon.com/Schaums-Outli...472X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326152930&sr=8-2

At some point, once the basics are mastered, the following book is good to go past Fourier into complex variables and Laplace transforms. This excellent book is only $7. How can you beat that? Even those who are not ready for it should buy it and keep it on the shelf for motivation.

http://www.amazon.com/Variables-Tra...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326153175&sr=1-1

 

The Oppenheim book that steveb mentions can also be had on Half.com for $12.50 used paperback. Both Amazon & Half are good places to buy used books as long as you choose a dealer with good satisfaction numbers. I buy/sell both sites frequently. By the way, you can never own too many math books or cats!

 

The Oppenheim book that steveb mentions can also be had on Half.com for $12.50 used paperback. ... By the way, you can never own too many math books or cats!

Good God! I'll buy three at that price and leave them for bathroom reading.

One of our cats is very bad at math, which is fortunate for him. We don't let him near the math books because he may learn that he ran out of lives about 6 lives ago.

Among his many near-death adventures is the time I saw him dive from the top of a 100 foot tree because he was afraid of the tree-climbing professional. I paid that guy $125 dollars to try and catch him after he spent 5 days up there.

He also survived a case of heartworm. The worm made a home in his heart for 2 years. We kept him calm for the whole time and he didn't have heart failure. The only expense was the $1 pill he took every day, and now has to take for the rest of his 37 or so lives.

Oh, ... and even the most expensive book is a lot cheaper than any free cat, as I'm sure you know.

 

Even those who are not ready for it should buy it and keep it on the shelf for motivation.

I eventually would keep the girl for motivation and maybe not in the shelf...


(I could not resist )

 

Here's a cheat sheet. It is useful, but doesn't teach you much.

 

The Fourier Transform and Its Applications - Ronald Bracewell

 

Oh, ... and even the most expensive book is a lot cheaper than any free cat, as I'm sure you know.

That quote is going up on the wall in my classroom and my library!! (I hope they don't get me for "hijacking" with this comment)
It has been my experience that free (cat) = pregnant (cat).

 

A lot of cat lovers here. Where's the love for dogs?


Thanks guys. I hope that cheat sheet will come in handy. I'll take a look at the books. I'll get the schaum book for sure, since it's the price of a pizza and seems highly recommended.

 

[...]it's the price of a pizza[...]

I can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing.

 

Depends what you want from fourier analysis.

This is a great practical little book aimed at first and second year physics and engineering undergrads that covers fourier series integrals and trnasforms and their use in the solution of many common differential equations.

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/B...=an=williams&bt.x=55&bt.y=11&kn=fourier&sts=t

 

May I offer an intuitive overview as a foundation? I find that a lot of people learn what the transform is and how to use it, yet still don't understand what it does.

http://www.earlevel.com/main/2002/08/31/a-gentle-introduction-to-the-fft/

(I suppose I should disclose that I'm the author.)

 

Boy, coming up on 10 years ago for that write-up...was looking at it and thinking how it might be nice to make an interactive javascipt explanation...someday when I have time...