Mathematicians have described the Fourier transform as one of the most important mathematical tools ever created.
The transform breaks down any function into a simple series of sine and cosine waves, or frequencies, that refine the function into a simpler form.
It was first discovered by French mathematician Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier while he was investigating the mathematics of heat distribution.
While initial reception to Fourier’s ideas was cool, the principle has since been universally embraced and is used in everything from MRI scans to MP3 files and the analysis of gravitational waves.
It can also be used to simplify complex math problems, and has surprising connections to number theory.
“It’s hard to overestimate the influence of Fourier analysis in math,” one expert says. “It touches almost every field.
