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FS of ±1.5 square wave, ω₀ = π

Short answer

Period T=2, ω₀=π. a0 = 0. For k odd: ak = 3/(jkπ) = -j3/(kπ), magnitude 3/(|k|π) (e.g., |a1|≈0.955). Even harmonics are zero. Phase is -π/2 for positive odd k.

Find the Fourier Series coefficient of the following continuous time periodic signal x(t) = 1.5 for 0 ≤ t < 1; −1.5 for 1 ≤ t < 2, with fundamental frequency π.

The fundamental frequency is ω0=π\omega_0 = \pi, so the period is T=2π/ω0=2T = 2\pi/\omega_0 = 2. Over one period, x(t)=1.5x(t) = 1.5 on 0≤t<10 \le t < 1 and x(t)=−1.5x(t) = -1.5 on 1≤t<21 \le t < 2.

 x(t)
  1.5  ____      ____      ____
      |    |    |    |    |
 -----+----+----+----+----+----- t
      0    1    2    3    4
           |____|    |____|
 -1.5

DC coefficient

a0=1T∫02x(t) dt=12[1.5(1)−1.5(1)]=0a_0 = \frac{1}{T}\int_0^2 x(t)\,dt = \frac{1}{2}\left[1.5(1) - 1.5(1)\right] = 0

Coefficients for k ≠ 0

ak=1T∫0Tx(t)e−jkω0tdt=12[∫011.5 e−jkπtdt−∫121.5 e−jkπtdt]a_k = \frac{1}{T}\int_0^T x(t)e^{-jk\omega_0 t}dt = \frac{1}{2}\left[\int_0^1 1.5\,e^{-jk\pi t}dt - \int_1^2 1.5\,e^{-jk\pi t}dt\right]

Evaluate each integral, using e−jkπ=(−1)ke^{-jk\pi} = (-1)^k and e−j2kπ=1e^{-j2k\pi} = 1:

∫01e−jkπtdt=1−e−jkπjkπ=1−(−1)kjkπ∫12e−jkπtdt=e−jkπ−e−j2kπjkπ=(−1)k−1jkπ\begin{aligned} \int_0^1 e^{-jk\pi t}dt &= \frac{1 - e^{-jk\pi}}{jk\pi} = \frac{1-(-1)^k}{jk\pi} \\ \int_1^2 e^{-jk\pi t}dt &= \frac{e^{-jk\pi} - e^{-j2k\pi}}{jk\pi} = \frac{(-1)^k - 1}{jk\pi} \end{aligned}

Substituting:

ak=1.52⋅[1−(−1)k]−[(−1)k−1]jkπ=1.52⋅2[1−(−1)k]jkπ=1.5 [1−(−1)k]jkπ\begin{aligned} a_k &= \frac{1.5}{2}\cdot\frac{[1-(-1)^k] - [(-1)^k - 1]}{jk\pi} \\ &= \frac{1.5}{2}\cdot\frac{2[1-(-1)^k]}{jk\pi} = \frac{1.5\,[1-(-1)^k]}{jk\pi} \end{aligned}

So

ak={3jkπ=−j3kπ,k odd0,k evena_k = \begin{cases} \dfrac{3}{jk\pi} = -j\dfrac{3}{k\pi}, & k \text{ odd} \\ 0, & k \text{ even} \end{cases}
k±1±2±3±5
∣ak∣\lvert a_k\rvert3/π3/\pi ≈ 0.95501/π1/\pi ≈ 0.3183/(5π)3/(5\pi) ≈ 0.191
∠ak\angle a_k∓π/2—∓π/2∓π/2

The coefficients are purely imaginary and odd (a−k=−aka_{-k} = -a_k). This is expected, because x(t)x(t) is real and has odd symmetry about t=0t = 0 (half-wave symmetry also removes the even harmonics). In trigonometric form:

x(t)=6π[sin⁡πt+13sin⁡3πt+15sin⁡5πt+… ]x(t) = \frac{6}{\pi}\left[\sin\pi t + \frac{1}{3}\sin 3\pi t + \frac{1}{5}\sin 5\pi t + \dots\right]

Answer: a0=0a_0 = 0, ak=−j 3/(kπ)a_k = -j\,3/(k\pi) for odd kk, and ak=0a_k = 0 for even kk.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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