Interpolating between periodicity and discreteness through the fractional Fourier transform

Periodicity and discreteness are Fourier duals in the same sense as operators such as coordinate multiplication and differentiation, and translation and phase shift. The fractional Fourier transform allows interpolation between such operators which gradually evolve from one member of the dual pair to the other as the fractional order goes from zero to one. Here, we similarly discuss the interpolation between the dual properties of periodicity and discreteness, showing how one evolves into the other as the order goes from zero to one. We also discuss the concepts of partial discreteness and partial periodicity and relate them to fractional discreteness and periodicity. © 2006 IEEE.