Discrete Fractional Fourier Transform Based on New Nearly Tridiagonal Commuting Matrices

Based on discrete Hermite–Gaussian-like functions, a discrete fractional Fourier transform (DFRFT), which provides sample approximations of the continuous fractional Fourier transform, was defined and investigated recently. In this paper, we propose a new nearly tridiagonal matrix, which commutes with the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) matrix. The eigenvectors of the new nearly tridiagonal matrix are shown to be DFT eigenvectors, which are more similar to the continuous Hermite–Gaussian functions than those developed before. Rigorous discussions on the relations between the eigendecomposition of the newly proposed nearly tridiagonal matrix and the DFT matrix are described. Furthermore, by appropriately combining two linearly independent matrices that both commute with the DFT matrix, we develop a method to obtain DFT eigenvectors even more similar to the continuous Hermite–Gaussian functions (HGFs). Then, new versions of DFRFT produce their transform outputs closer to the samples of the continuous fractional Fourier transform, and their applications are described. Related computer experiments are performed to illustrate the validity of the works in this paper.