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DTFS of a periodic impulse train

Short answer

The periodic impulse train x[n]=∑ δ[n-ℓN] has period N. All DTFS coefficients are 1/N, giving a flat spectrum. Its Fourier series is x[n] = (1/N)∑_{k⟨N⟩} e^{j k (2π/N) n}.

Find the Fourier series representation of the signal x[n] = Σ_{ℓ=−∞}^{∞} δ[n − ℓN].

The signal is a periodic impulse train: a unit impulse at every multiple of NN.

x[n]=∑ℓ=−∞∞δ[n−ℓN]x[n] = \sum_{\ell=-\infty}^{\infty}\delta[n - \ell N]
 x[n]
  1  *              *              *
     |              |              |
 ----+--*--*--...---+--*--*--...---+---- n
     0              N              2N

It is periodic with period NN, so ω0=2π/N\omega_0 = 2\pi/N.

Coefficients

ak=1N∑n=⟨N⟩x[n] e−jk(2π/N)na_k = \frac{1}{N}\sum_{n=\langle N\rangle} x[n]\,e^{-jk(2\pi/N)n}

Choose the period n=0,1,…,N−1n = 0, 1, \dots, N-1. Within it x[n]=δ[n]x[n] = \delta[n], which is 1 at n=0n = 0 and 0 elsewhere:

ak=1N∑n=0N−1δ[n] e−jk(2π/N)n=1Ne0=1Nfor all ka_k = \frac{1}{N}\sum_{n=0}^{N-1}\delta[n]\,e^{-jk(2\pi/N)n} = \frac{1}{N}e^{0} = \frac{1}{N} \quad \text{for all } k

Fourier series representation

x[n]=∑k=0N−11Nejk(2π/N)n=1N∑k=⟨N⟩ejk(2π/N)nx[n] = \sum_{k=0}^{N-1}\frac{1}{N}e^{jk(2\pi/N)n} = \frac{1}{N}\sum_{k=\langle N\rangle} e^{jk(2\pi/N)n}

Check: for n=0,±N,…n = 0, \pm N, \dots every exponential equals 1, so the sum is N⋅1N=1N\cdot\frac{1}{N} = 1. For other nn the sum is a full geometric series over the NNth roots of unity, which is 1N⋅1−ej2πn1−ej2πn/N=0\frac{1}{N}\cdot\frac{1 - e^{j2\pi n}}{1 - e^{j2\pi n/N}} = 0. This matches x[n]x[n].

Spectrum: all NN harmonics have the same amplitude 1/N1/N and zero phase. The spectrum is flat. A train of narrow impulses contains all frequencies equally, just as the CT impulse train ∑δ(t−kT)\sum\delta(t - kT) has ak=1/Ta_k = 1/T. This result is the basis of the sampling theorem.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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