Nyquist frequency

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Nyquist frequency & rate
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Nyquist frequency

The Nyquist frequency is a fundamental concept in the field of signal processing and digital signal processing. It is named after the Swedish-American engineer Harry Nyquist, who made significant contributions to the field of telecommunications.

Definition[edit | edit source]

The Nyquist frequency is defined as half of the sampling rate of a discrete signal processing system. It represents the highest frequency that can be accurately represented when a continuous signal is sampled. Mathematically, if the sampling rate is denoted as \( f_s \), the Nyquist frequency \( f_N \) is given by:

\[ f_N = \frac{f_s}{2} \]

Importance[edit | edit source]

The concept of the Nyquist frequency is crucial in the context of the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem, which states that a continuous signal can be completely represented in its sampled form and perfectly reconstructed if it is sampled at a rate greater than twice its highest frequency component. This minimum sampling rate is known as the Nyquist rate.

Aliasing[edit | edit source]

If a signal is sampled at a rate lower than the Nyquist rate, aliasing occurs. Aliasing is a phenomenon where higher frequency components of the signal are indistinguishably mapped to lower frequencies, leading to distortion and loss of information. To prevent aliasing, an anti-aliasing filter is often applied to the signal before sampling.

Applications[edit | edit source]

The Nyquist frequency is a key parameter in various applications, including:

Related Concepts[edit | edit source]

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD