Fourier analysis

noun, Physics, Mathematics
1.
the expression of any periodic function as a sum of sine and cosine functions, as in an electromagnetic wave function.
Compare Fourier series.
2.
harmonic analysis.
Origin
1925-30; named after J.B.J. Fourier
British Dictionary definitions for Fourier analysis

Fourier analysis

/ˈfʊərɪˌeɪ/
noun
1.
the analysis of a periodic function into its simple sinusoidal or harmonic components, whose sum forms a Fourier series
Word Origin
C19: named after Baron Jean Baptiste Joseph Fourier (1768–1830), French mathematician, Egyptologist, and administrator
Fourier analysis in Science
Fourier analysis  
The branch of mathematics concerned with the approximation of periodic functions by the Fourier series and with generalizations of such approximations to a wider class of functions.