[Kelvin Wedge] Azimuthal Fourier Analysis
The math is sound. The method is not.
We introduce azimuthal Fourier expansion for functions with circular
symmetry: we write \(f(r, \phi)\) as a
sum of angular modes \(\hat{f}_n(r) e^{i n
\phi}\), where \(\hat{f}_n(r)\)
is obtained by integrating over \(\phi\) and measures the strength of mode
\(n\) at radius \(r\). We then contrast this discrete angular
Fourier series on \([0,2 \pi]\) with
the usual continuous Fourier transform on \((-\infty, \infty)\), and we briefly note
that this separation of radial and angular dependence is especially
useful in optics, quantum mechanics, fluid dynamics, and image
processing.