Uncertainty principles for time-frequency representations

From MaRDI portal





A Fourier uncertainty principle is a statement regarding the limitation of joint time-frequency localization of a nontrivial function \(f\) and its Fourier transform \(\hat f\). Typical forms include Heisenberg's inequality: \(\| x f(x)\| _{L^2} \| \xi\hat f(\xi)\| _{L^2}\geq \| f\| _{L^2}^2/(4\pi)\); Benedick's theorem: a function and its Fourier transform cannot both \textit{live} on sets of finite Lebesgue measure; and Hardy's theorem: \(\| f(x) e^{\alpha\pi x^2}\| _{L^\infty} \| \hat f(\xi) e^{\pi \xi^2/\alpha}\| _{L^\infty} < \infty\) with \(\alpha > 0\) implies \(f\) is a multiple of \(e^{-\alpha\pi x^2}\). There are many variations on these basic themes -- each of which comes with their own sets of techniques -- in the literature. Here, the author systematically reviews the discoveries that each such Fourier uncertainty principle has a corresponding formulation in terms of time-frequency distributions such as the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) or Wigner distribution. Proofs of analogues of Benedicks' and Hardy's theorems and formulations of corresponding statements about \textit{essential} time-frequency localization are provided in the case of the STFT. Importantly, the author elucidates the theme underlying the methods of these proofs, namely, that statements for the STFT are always reduced to their counterpart statements for \(f\) and \(\hat f\) by a suitable use of symmetry properties of the time-frequency plane. In the case of the STFT these symmetries are captured in terms of certain identities that the STFT satisfies. As such, the extent to which uncertainty principles for the pair \((f,\hat f)\) can be extended to more general \textit{Cohen class} time-frequency distributions remains unclear. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1005.00015].




Cited in
(52)








This page was built for publication: Uncertainty principles for time-frequency representations

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q4427699)