Past exam of the year 2 of the earth sciences (geology) course of the University of Oxford / 2022 / Paper 1 / 10 / c / iii

Successive jumps occur at times separated by $T=6$ s. Between $-3$ and $3$ s the plotted function is $f(t)=2-t$, periodically extended, with maximum $5$ and minimum $-1$. Its mean is therefore $2$ m, and $f(t)-2=-t$ is an odd function over that centered period.

For the Fourier series convention$a_0=4$ m and $a_r=0$ for every $r\ge 1$; the nonconstant content consists of sine terms. If $a_0$ denotes the mean directly in the alternative convention $f=a_0+\sum \cdots$, its value is $2$ m. Stating the convention resolves the otherwise ambiguous notation.

For completeness, integrating $-t$ against the sine basis gives $b_r=6(-1{)}^r/(\pi r)$ m. At a jump the Fourier series converges to the midpoint $2$ m. The nonzero mean does not destroy the oddness argument for the mean-subtracted function; declaring the original function itself odd would incorrectly force its mean to vanish.