nounan infinite trigonometric series of the form 1⁄2a0 + a1cos x + b1sin x + a2cos 2x + b2sin 2x + …, where a0, a1, b1, a2, b2 … are the Fourier coefficients. It is used, esp in mathematics and physics, to represent or approximate any periodic function by assigning suitable values to the coefficients
Word origin
C19: named after Jean Baptiste Joseph
Fourier