Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-fourier-analysis-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/1/a/ii/solution

For , insert a Gaussian function into the proposed inverse Fourier transform:
The Fourier bounds for Schwartz functions show that is an integrable function, so dominated convergence gives
On the other hand, Fubini's theorem applies because . The given Fourier transform of a Gaussian, rescaled by , yields
The last integrand is bounded by . Since is continuous, another application of dominated convergence makes this tend to . Equating the limits proves the Fourier inversion theorem:
The Gaussian functions above form an approximate identity; no Fourier inversion was used in evaluating their integrals.

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