Fourier Series, full or half range?

Imagine that we wish to expand a function f (x) defined for −L ≤ x ≤ L in terms of a

Fourier series. As f (x) is defined between −L ≤ x ≤ L it might seem that we must use the
Fourier full range series. This is not necessarily true. If the function is either even or odd
we can expand f (x) in the range 0 ≤ x ≤ L with either a cosine or sine Fourier half range
series and we will get exactly the same result, but with half the mathematical effort. We only
need to use the Fourier full range series when f (x) is neither even or odd.

Example 1: f (x) is odd

To see how this works, let us expand an odd function, f (x), in terms of the full range series,
1 nπx nπx
X     
f (x) = ao + an cos + bn sin . (1)
2 n L L

Now, Z L nπx
 
an = f (x) cos dx
−L L
is zero because the integrand is odd. As the function f (x) is odd and cos(nπx/L) is even,
the product f (x) cos(nπx/L) must be odd, and the integral of any odd function between
symmetric limits is always zero. We can show this mathematically as follows,
Z L nπx
 
an = f (x) cos dx,
−L L
Z 0 Z L
nπx nπx
   
= f (x) cos dx + f (x) cos dx,
−L L 0 L
nπ(−x0 )
Z 0 ! Z L
nπx
 
0
= f (−x ) cos (−dx0 ) + f (x) cos dx,
L L 0 L
(2)

where, in the second line we split the integration range, and in the third line we changed
variable from x to x0 = −x in the firstR integral on the right hand side. Now, f (−x0 ) = −f (x0 ),
0 RL
cos(nπ(−x )/L) = cos(nπx /L) and L ...dx = − 0 ...dx0 . Then
0 0 0

nπx0
!
Z L Z L
nπx
 
0 0
an = − f (x ) cos dx + f (x) cos dx,
0 L 0 L
= 0.
(3)

Clearly, Z L
ao = f (x)dx
−L

is also zero. To derive this result we could follow the same procedure as above, or again, we
can simply think about the symmetry of the integrand. Imagine plotting a graph of f (x)
against x. As f (x) is odd, the areas under the graph between −L ≤ x ≤ 0 and between
0 ≤ x ≤ L are equal and opposite.

As all the an terms are zero, from Eq. (1) we have,

nπx
X  
f (x) = bn sin ,
n L
where, the definition of bn is,
1ZL nπx
 
bn = f (x) sin dx.
L −L L
We can show that this is equivalent to the standard result for a half range Fourier sine series
using similar arguments to above. As f (x) is odd and sin(nπx/L) is odd, the integrand,
f (x) sin(nπx/L) is even and the integral of any even function between −L and L is always
twice the integral of the function between 0 and L. Again, by considering the areas under a
graph of f (x) sin(nπx/L) this should be obvious. Then,
2ZL nπx
 
bn = f (x) sin dx, (4)
L 0 L
which is the standard result for the half range Fourier sine series. We can also derive this
result algebraically as follows,
1ZL nπx
 
bn = f (x) sin dx,
L (−L L
 )
1 Z0 nπx Z L
nπx
  
= f (x) sin dx + f (x) sin dx .
L −L L 0 L
In the first integral on the right hand side, let us substitute x0 = −x. Then,
nπ(−x0 )
( ! )
1 Z0 Z L
nπx
 
0 0
bn = f (−x ) sin (−dx ) + f (x) sin dx ,
L L L 0 L
nπx0
( !  )
1 ZL Z L
nπx

0 0
= f (x ) sin dx + f (x) sin dx ,
L 0 L 0 L
2ZL nπx
 
= f (x) sin dx.
L 0 L

Example 2: f (x) is even

By following similar arguments you should be able to show that, if f (x) is even, bn = 0 and
the an in Eq. (1) are given by the standard result for the half range Fourier cosine series.

Example 3: f (x) is neither odd or even

In this case both an and bn are non zero and we must use the formulae for the full range
Fourier series.