Signal Spectra

By Fourier theory, any waveform can be represented by a summation of a (possibly infinite) number of sinusoids, each with a particular amplitude, frequency and phase. Such a representation is referred to as the signal's spectrum (or it's frequency-domain representation). It is often easier to analyze signals and signal networks in terms of their spectral representations. As well, there are many instances where it is easier to synthesize a signal using a frequency-domain approach.

The intention of this section is to provide a cursory overview of frequency-domain representations in preparation for topics and concepts to be presented in the coming weeks. Students should not worry about understanding all the details provided in this section. A more in-depth consideration of frequency-domain analysis will be presented in Week 6.