The Fourier Transform

Fourier Transform

The Fourier transform is a mathematical operation that decomposes a signal into its constituent frequencies. Thus the Fourier transform of a musical chord is a mathematical representation of the amplitudes of the individual notes that make it up. The original signal depends on time, and therefore is called the time domain representation of the signal, whereas the Fourier transform depends on frequency and is called the frequency domain representation of the signal. The term Fourier transform refers both to the frequency domain representation of the signal and the process that transforms the signal to its frequency domain representation.