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Homework Statement
Hi everyone. I have a Fourier series problem from an old Physics GRE that I would like to discuss.
Here is a link to the problem and a solution. The answer they get is correct, but their explanation is not:
http://grephysics.net/ans/9277/39
Homework Equations
Fourier Analysis, but we should be able to solve this without too much math.
The Attempt at a Solution
Since, you only have 1min. 15s for every problem on the test, usually these problems can be solved in that length of time.
So, I am trying to find a way to get to the correct answer by using reasoning and elimination instead of actually integrating to find the correct coefficients (time consuming). Here is where I am at:
You can eliminate all choices except for A and B since the terms in the series must be odd functions since the function we are expanding is odd.
Now, I can't seem to find a good way to narrow the answer down to B, which is the correct answer. Their explanation does not make sense, since if A is trivially 0 then so is B.
Does anyone here have any ideas? I have been staring at this for quite some time. Yet, I can't find a good way to eliminate A, except by brute calculation of the series. Any thoughts and help will be appreciated. Thank you.