Need Self study book for Fourier Series and Generalized Functions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding suitable self-study books for Fourier Analysis and Generalized Functions. Participants share their experiences with various texts and express specific needs for clarity, organization, and solution availability in the materials.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses dissatisfaction with "Fourier Analysis and Its Applications" by Folland due to its disorganized presentation and lack of solutions for exercises.
  • Another participant recommends "Fourier Analysis and Generalised Functions" by M.J. Lighthill, noting that a PDF is available online.
  • A different participant mentions finding Lighthill's book on the Internet Archive, highlighting that it has limited exercises and sketchy proofs, suggesting it may require additional effort to fill in gaps.
  • Another suggestion includes "A Guide to Distribution Theory and Fourier Transforms" by Robert S. Strichartz.
  • Some participants discuss the original pricing of Lighthill's book, sharing anecdotes about its historical cost.
  • One participant questions the original poster's mathematical maturity and background in Lebesgue/Functional Analysis, seeking clarification on their approach to Generalized Functions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on a single recommended text, as participants offer various suggestions and express differing opinions on the suitability of the mentioned books. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best resource for self-study.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of mathematical background, which may influence their preferences for certain texts. There is also mention of the need for worked examples and solutions, indicating that different participants have different requirements for self-study materials.

jstrunk
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I need a book to self study Fourier Analysis that will also cover Generalized Functions, or at least prepare me to self study them.
I have Fourier Analysis and Its Applications by Folland and it isn't working for me.
The presentation very disorganized and unclear and no solution is provided for many of the exercises, so I can't verify my answers.
A book suitable for self study would have solutions for almost every exercise, preferably not just the bare solution, but how you get it.
Either that or bare solutions plus worked examples in the text.

I also have Schaum's Outline of Fourier Analysis. This has a lot of worked examples, so is OK as far as that goes, but it doesn't
cover Generalized Functions and I don't know if it provides sufficient background to study them.
 
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"A Guide to Distribution Theory and Fourier Transforms" - Robert S Strichartz
 
I also couldn't use the link to Lighthill but found it on the Internet Archive. There are only 18 official exercises in the whole book but from the comments on Amazon, it seems the proofs are kind of sketchy and filling in the blanks is almost like another set of exercises. And there are lots of examples. I think I will buy a copy rather that squint at it on the computer. As a funny side note, I noticed that the original price of the book was $1.95.
I will also check out the other recommendations.
 
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jstrunk said:
As a funny side note, I noticed that the original price of the book was $1.95.
Just $1.75 IN THE U.S.A. or 65p (13s) NET IN U.K. says the cover of the 1970 reprint that I bought in the late 1970s.
 
Folland is a standard text. Do you find it hard to read do due to lack of mathematical maturity or weak analysis background?

By general functions, do you mean distribution theory?


Are you trying to approach this from a pure math perspective?

How good is your Lebesgue /Functional Analysis background?
Ie., how mucj do you know about operators.
 
jstrunk said:
I noticed that the original price of the book was $1.95.
That's what I paid for it.
 

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