Just as a prism separates white light into its component bands of colored light, so the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is used to separate a signal into its constituent frequencies. Just as a pair of sunglasses reduces the glare of white light, permitting only the softer green light to pass, so the DFT may be used to modify a signal to achieve a desired effect. In fact, by analyzing the component frequencies of a signal or any system, the DFT can be used in an astonishing variety of problems. Among the applications of the DFT are digital signal processing, oil and gas exploration, medical imaging, aircraft and spacecraft guidance, and the solution of differential equations of physics and engineering.

This book explores both the practical and theoretical aspects of the DFT, one of the most widely used tools in science, engineering, and computational mathematics. Designed to be accessible to an audience with diverse interests and mathematical backgrounds, the book is written in an informal style and is supported by many examples, figures, and problems.

Conceived as an ""owner's"" manual, this comprehensive book covers such topics as the history of the DFT, derivations and properties of the DFT, comprehensive error analysis, issues concerning the implementation of the DFT in one and several dimensions, symmetric DFTs, a sample of DFT applications, and an overview of the FFT.