Re: FourierTransform on UnitStep
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg14482] Re: [mg14449] FourierTransform on UnitStep
- From: David Withoff <withoff>
- Date: Fri, 23 Oct 1998 20:59:01 -0400
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
> Hi,
>
> I am a new EE Student and I'm just begining with Fourier transforms. I
> was using Mathematica at school when I saw something I just couldn't
> figure out.
>
> FourierTransform[UnitStep[t],t,w] gives me I/w + pi DiracDelta[w]
>
> I learned that it should give me pi DiracDelta[w]-I/w or 1/Iw + pi
> DiracDelta[w].
>
> Am I missing something or is there a bug in the FourierTransform
> package? They are using Mathematica 3.0
>
> Normand Leclerc
> lecn1306 at ele.etsmtl.ca
There are several equivalent definitions of a Fourier integral
transform. The one that you are probably using is available in
Mathematica by setting the FourierFrequencyConstant option.
In[1]:= << Calculus`FourierTransform`
In[2]:= ?FourierTransform
FourierTransform[expr, t, w] gives a function of w, which is the Fourier
transform of expr, a function of t. It is defined by
FourierTransform[expr, t, w] = FourierOverallConstant *
Integrate[Exp[FourierFrequencyConstant I w t] expr, {t, -Infinity,
Infinity}].
In[3]:= FourierTransform[UnitStep[t],t,w]
I
Out[3]= - + Pi DiracDelta[w]
w
In[4]:= FourierTransform[UnitStep[t],t,w,FourierFrequencyConstant -> -1]
-I
Out[4]= -- + Pi DiracDelta[w]
w
Dave Withoff
Wolfram Research