If there's a mathematical idea that applies itself to almost everything in everyday life but is almost unknown outside the scientific world, the Fourier transform has to be the most unsung contender.

If you’ve spent any time on the Internet, at some point you’ve heard the phrase “Fourier transform.” It’s it’s a mathematical discovery that’s baked into everything from MP3s to quantum physics. Once ...

Over at Quanta Magazine [Shalma Wegsman] asks What Is the Fourier Transform? [Shalma] begins by telling you a little about Joseph Fourier, the French mathematician with an interest in heat propagation ...