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Spectrum of a sawtooth wave

Short answer

Integrate x(t)=t over period T=1. DC a0=0.5; for k≠0, a_k = j/(2πk). Magnitude |a_k|=1/(2π|k|), phase 90° for k>0, –90° for k<0.

Calculate and plot magnitude and phase spectrum of the following periodic signal. [Figure: sawtooth wave of period 1: x(t) rises linearly from 0 at t = 0 to 1 at t = 1 and then drops back to 0, i.e. x(t) = t for 0 ≤ t < 1, repeating every 1 s; shown from t = −3 to t = 4]

One period: x(t)=tx(t) = t for 0≤t<10 \le t < 1, with period T=1T = 1 s, so ω0=2π/T=2π\omega_0 = 2\pi/T = 2\pi rad/s.

ak=1T∫0Tx(t)e−jkω0tdt=∫01t e−j2πktdta_k = \frac{1}{T}\int_0^T x(t)e^{-jk\omega_0 t}dt = \int_0^1 t\,e^{-j2\pi kt}dt

DC term (k=0k = 0)

a0=∫01t dt=12a_0 = \int_0^1 t\,dt = \frac{1}{2}

Coefficients for k≠0k \ne 0

Integrate by parts with u=tu = t, dv=e−j2πktdtdv = e^{-j2\pi kt}dt, v=e−j2πkt−j2πkv = \frac{e^{-j2\pi kt}}{-j2\pi k}:

ak=[t e−j2πkt−j2πk]01−∫01e−j2πkt−j2πkdt=e−j2πk−j2πk+1j2πk[e−j2πkt−j2πk]01=1−j2πk+1j2πk⋅e−j2πk−1−j2πk\begin{aligned} a_k &= \left[\frac{t\,e^{-j2\pi kt}}{-j2\pi k}\right]_0^1 - \int_0^1\frac{e^{-j2\pi kt}}{-j2\pi k}dt \\ &= \frac{e^{-j2\pi k}}{-j2\pi k} + \frac{1}{j2\pi k}\left[\frac{e^{-j2\pi kt}}{-j2\pi k}\right]_0^1 \\ &= \frac{1}{-j2\pi k} + \frac{1}{j2\pi k}\cdot\frac{e^{-j2\pi k} - 1}{-j2\pi k} \end{aligned}

Since e−j2πk=1e^{-j2\pi k} = 1, the second term is zero:

ak=−1j2πk=j2πk,k≠0a_k = \frac{-1}{j2\pi k} = \frac{j}{2\pi k}, \qquad k \ne 0

Magnitude and phase

∣ak∣=12π∣k∣,∠ak={+90∘ (π/2),k>0−90∘ (−π/2),k<00,k=0|a_k| = \frac{1}{2\pi|k|}, \qquad \angle a_k = \begin{cases} +90^\circ\ (\pi/2), & k > 0 \\ -90^\circ\ (-\pi/2), & k < 0 \\ 0, & k = 0 \end{cases}
kk0±1\pm1±2\pm2±3\pm3±4\pm4
∣ak∣\lvert a_k\rvert0.50.1590.07960.05310.0398
∠ak\angle a_k (k>0k>0)0∘0^\circ90∘90^\circ90∘90^\circ90∘90^\circ90∘90^\circ
∠ak\angle a_k (k<0k<0)-−90∘-90^\circ−90∘-90^\circ−90∘-90^\circ−90∘-90^\circ

So the Fourier series is

x(t)=12+∑k≠0j2πkej2πkt=12−∑k=1∞1πksin⁡(2πkt)x(t) = \frac{1}{2} + \sum_{k\ne0}\frac{j}{2\pi k}e^{j2\pi kt} = \frac{1}{2} - \sum_{k=1}^{\infty}\frac{1}{\pi k}\sin(2\pi kt)

Spectra (lines at ω=2πk\omega = 2\pi k)

 |a_k|
   0.5           |
 0.159        |  |  |
0.0796     |  |  |  |  |
0.0531  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
       -+--+--+--+--+--+--+--> k
       -3 -2 -1  0  1  2  3

 angle a_k (deg)
    90              |  |  |
       -+--+--+--o--+--+--+--> k
   -90  |  |  |
       -3 -2 -1  0  1  2  3

The magnitude falls as 1/k1/k (because of the jump discontinuity each period), is even in kk, and the phase is odd: +90∘+90^\circ for positive kk and −90∘-90^\circ for negative kk.

Check: at t=0.25t = 0.25, the series 12−1π(1−13+15−… )=12−1π⋅π4=0.25\frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{\pi}\left(1 - \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{5} - \dots\right) = \frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{\pi}\cdot\frac{\pi}{4} = 0.25, which equals x(0.25)x(0.25).

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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