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Mathematics

The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)

Quick fact

The FFT reduces the number of operations needed for a 1,024-point Fourier transform from about a million down to roughly ten thousand — a 100x speedup that grows even larger with more data.

Why this is interesting

Every time you listen to a song, view a CT scan, or use a smartphone camera, a clever mathematical trick runs thousands of times per second. Why is it called 'fast' — and what exactly does it speed up?