An Introduction to Superoscillatory Sequences

Abstract

The notion of superoscillating functions, or more properly of superoscillatory sequences, is a byproduct of Aharonov’s theory of weak measurements and weak values in quantum mechanics. Recently, many mathematicians and physicists have begun to pay attention to the mathematical significance of such objects, and have been able to begin a theory of superoscillatory behavior. Not surprisingly, this theory is based on some classical results in Fourier analysis, and it displays interesting connections with the theory of convolution equations. In this paper we will put these connections in a larger context, and show how to use this context to generate a large class of superoscillating sequences. As a concrete example we discuss the Cauchy problem with superoscillatory datum for the harmonic oscillator. Finally, we show how this theory can be generalized to the case of several variables.

Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). 32A15; 32A10; 47B38