https://people.math.osu.edu/gerlach.1/math/BVtypset/node31.html
The Fourier Integral Theorem The mathematically more precise statement of this theorem is as follows:
-
Given:(i)
-
is function piecewise continuous on every bounded closed interval of the
-axis.
(ii)
-
At each point
the function
has both a left derivative
and a right derivative
,
(iii)
-
, i.e.
is absolutely integrable along the
-axis:
Conclusion:
-
(239)
Comments:
- This result can be restated as a Fourier transform pair,
wheneveris continuous.
- By interchanging integration order and letting
one has
This equation holds for all continuous functions. Thus
is another delta convergent sequence:
It is of course understood that one first do the integration overbefore taking to the indicated limit.
- Either one of the two equations, Eq.(2.42) or (2.43), is a generalized completeness relation for the set of ``wave train'' functions,
. Instead, as Eq.(2.43) implies, they are said to be ``
-function normalized''.
Proof of the Fourier integral theorem:
The proof of the Fourier integral theorem presupposes that the Fourier amplitude is well-defined for each
. That this is indeed the case follows from the finiteness of
: ( following loss "=" )

The last inequality is an expression of the fact that . Thus
is well-defined indeed.
The proof of the Fourier integral theorem runs parallel to the Fourier series theorem on page . We shall show that
![$\displaystyle \lim_{K\to\infty}S_K(x)=\frac{1}{2}\left[f(x^-)+f(x^+)\right]~,
$](https://people.math.osu.edu/gerlach.1/math/BVtypset/img838.png)
where
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The evaluation of the integrals is done by shifting the integration variable. For the second integral one obtains
![]() | ![]() | |
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Using the fact that

and the fact that

is piecewise continuous everywhere, including at , where

is the right hand derivative of at
, one finds that
![]() | ![]() | |
![]() |
with the help the Riemann-Lebesgue lemma.
A similar analysis yields

The sum of the last two equations yields
![$\displaystyle \lim_{K\to\infty} S_(K)=\lim_{K\to\infty}[J_K(x)+I_K(x)]=\frac{1}{2}
\left[f(x^-)+f(x^+)\right]~,
$](https://people.math.osu.edu/gerlach.1/math/BVtypset/img854.png)
This validates Fourier's integral theorem.