The Fourier Transform, explained in one sentence (2014)
Does "blog post learning" ever really work?<p>I have taught these kind of undergraduate subjects and, <i>in the context of a course</i>, the Fourier transform never struck me as something very complicated. First, it feels completely natural to write down a Fourier decomposition for periodic functions; the inverse transform to determine the coefficient is just (real or complex) calculus; and all that is left is to convince the audience of completeness which is best done through a few examples as well as the time-honoured method of "proof by intimidation". (Note that the blog post does not do a better job here.)<p>By contrast, these posts seem to fulfil a demand where people look for an <i>isolated</i> explanation of concept X, like Fourier transforms, matrix determinants, monoids, etc. But they are necessarily too isolated to really convey the subject. For example, one does not normally teach (complex) Fourier transforms without first dedicating significant time to topics like complex exponentials and integrals of trig functions, and likewise one normally teaches monoids only after introducing functors and applicatives.<p>In other words, without having the necessary background at your fingertips it is hard to really grasp the core concepts. That is why, IMHO, reading these blog posts may feel good but will rarely make things really stick.