harmonic analysis
noun
: the expression of a periodic function as a sum of sines and cosines and specifically by a Fourier series
Examples of harmonic analysis in a Sentence
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The Mizohata-Takeuchi conjecture is a problem in harmonic analysis, a field that studies how functions are assembled from wavelike components.
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Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2025
Rajula Srivastava, for contributions in harmonic analysis and analytic number theory, including contributions to the problem of counting rational points near smooth manifolds.
—Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2025
Larry Guth’s expertise in harmonic analysis gave him a fresh perspective on a number theory problem that had resisted proof for decades.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, 4 Aug. 2024
In 1874 in the United States, William Ferrel, a mathematician with the Coast and Geodetic Survey, developed a similar harmonic analysis and prediction device that used 19 harmonic constituents.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2024
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Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2025
Rajula Srivastava, for contributions in harmonic analysis and analytic number theory, including contributions to the problem of counting rational points near smooth manifolds.
—Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2025
Larry Guth’s expertise in harmonic analysis gave him a fresh perspective on a number theory problem that had resisted proof for decades.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, 4 Aug. 2024
In 1874 in the United States, William Ferrel, a mathematician with the Coast and Geodetic Survey, developed a similar harmonic analysis and prediction device that used 19 harmonic constituents.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Harmonic analysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harmonic%20analysis. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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