A form of data that is often encountered in primary scientific research is various binary streams. There are specific codecs for video and audio transmission and storage, and often, we are looking for higher-level tools to deal with each specific format. There are various signal sources we might be considering such as from a radio telescopes, sensor on a camera, or the electrical impulses from a microphone. Signals all share the same underlying principles based on wave mechanics and harmonic motion.
Signals are generally studied using time frequency analysis. The central concept here is that a continuous signal in time and space can be decomposed into frequency components. We use what is known as a Fourier Transform to move between the time and frequency domains. This utilizes the interesting fact that states that any given function, including non periodic functions, can be represented by a series of sine and cosine functions. This is illustrated by the following:
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