The Fourier transform of spline-function approximations to continuous data

The transform of a spline-function approximation to continuous data is called a spline transform. In this correspondence, the spline and the discrete Fourier transforms (DFT) are compared as means for numerical computation of the Fourier integral transform. It is shown how the spline transform reduces errors introduced by the discrete transform and alleviates noise problems when the sampling rate is limited due to experimental method or hardware constraints.