harmonic analyzer
Quick Summary
A harmonic analyzer is a machine designed to break down complex, periodic curves into their simpler component sine curves. This mathematical technique, known as harmonic analysis, is used to describe and analyze phenomena that recur periodically.12
Many natural phenomena, such as sound waves, alternating electric currents, tides, and vibrations, exhibit periodic characteristics. Harmonic analysis allows these complex functions to be expressed as a sum of sine and cosine terms, called a Fourier series. The process of determining the coefficients for these terms is harmonic analysis. The terms with periods that are integral submultiples of the fundamental period are called harmonics.2
Early harmonic analyzers were mechanical devices, with notable inventions by William Thomson (Baron Kelvin) in 1873 and later by Albert Abraham Michelson and Samuel W. Stratton. Modern harmonic analyzers often use electromechanical or digital computer principles to achieve highly accurate results, frequently displaying signals visually on a cathode-ray tube.2
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