FresnelS[z]
gives the Fresnel integral
.
FresnelS
FresnelS[z]
gives the Fresnel integral
.
Details
- Mathematical function, suitable for both symbolic and numerical manipulation.
- FresnelS[z] is given by
. - FresnelS[z] is an entire function of z with no branch cut discontinuities.
- For certain special arguments, FresnelS automatically evaluates to exact values.
- FresnelS can be evaluated to arbitrary numerical precision.
- FresnelS automatically threads over lists.
- FresnelS can be used with Interval and CenteredInterval objects. »
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (5)
FresnelS[1.8]Plot over a subset of the reals:
Plot[FresnelS[x], {x, -10, 10}]Plot over a subset of the complexes:
ComplexPlot3D[FresnelS[z], {z, -2 - 2I, 2 + 2I}, PlotLegends -> Automatic]Series expansion at the origin:
Series[FresnelS[x], {x, 0, 20}]Series expansion at Infinity:
Series[FresnelS[x], {x, ∞, 3}]//NormalScope (39)
Numerical Evaluation (5)
Evaluate numerically to high precision:
N[FresnelS[2], 50]The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:
FresnelS[2.0000000000000000000000]Evaluate for complex arguments:
FresnelS[2.5 + I]Evaluate FresnelS efficiently at high precision:
FresnelS[2`500]//TimingFresnelS[2`10000];//TimingCompute worst-case guaranteed intervals using Interval and CenteredInterval objects:
FresnelS[Interval[{1.1, 1.2}]]FresnelS[CenteredInterval[-1, 1 / 100]]Or compute average-case statistical intervals using Around:
FresnelS[ Around[1 / 2, 0.01]]Compute the elementwise values of an array:
FresnelS[{{1.1, .2}, {.2, 1.2}}]Or compute the matrix FresnelS function using MatrixFunction:
MatrixFunction[FresnelS, {{1.1, .2}, {.2, 1.2}}]Specific Values (3)
FresnelS[0]FresnelS[{-Infinity, Infinity, -I Infinity, I Infinity}]FresnelS[ComplexInfinity]Find a local maximum as a root of
:
xmax = Solve[D[FresnelS[x], x] == 0 && 0 < x < 1.5, x][[1, 1]]//QuietPlot[FresnelS[x], {x, -3, 3}, Epilog -> Style[Point[{xmax[[2]], FresnelS[xmax[[2]]]}], PointSize[Large], Red]]Visualization (2)
Plot the FresnelS function:
Plot[FresnelS[x], {x, -5, 5}]ComplexContourPlot[Re[FresnelS[z]], {z, -2 - 2I, 2 + 2 I}, Contours -> 20]ComplexContourPlot[Im[FresnelS[z]], {z, -2 - 2I, 2 + 2 I}, Contours -> 20]Function Properties (9)
FresnelS is defined for all real and complex values:
FunctionDomain[FresnelS[x], x]FunctionDomain[FresnelS[z], z, Complexes]Approximate function range of FresnelS:
FunctionRange[FresnelS[x], x, y]//NFresnelS is an odd function:
FresnelS[-x]FresnelS is an analytic function of x:
FunctionAnalytic[FresnelS[x], x]FresnelS is neither non-increasing nor non-decreasing:
FunctionMonotonicity[FresnelS[x], x]FunctionMonotonicity[{FresnelS[x], 0 < x < 3}, x]FresnelS is not injective:
FunctionInjective[FresnelS[x], x]Plot[{FresnelS[x], 1 / 2}, {x, -6, 6}]FunctionSurjective[FresnelS[x], x]Plot[{FresnelS[x], 2}, {x, -6, 6}]FresnelS is neither non-negative nor non-positive:
FunctionSign[FresnelS[x], x]FresnelS has no singularities or discontinuities:
FunctionSingularities[FresnelS[x], x]FunctionDiscontinuities[FresnelS[x], x]FunctionConvexity[FresnelS[x], x]Differentiation (3)
D[FresnelS[x], x]Table[D[FresnelS[x], {x, n}], {n, 1, 4}]Plot[Evaluate[%], {x, -2, 2}, PlotLegends -> {"First Derivative", "Second Derivative", "Third Derivative", "Fourth Derivative"}]D[FresnelS[x], {x, n}]Integration (3)
Indefinite integral of FresnelS:
Integrate[FresnelS[x], x]Definite integral of an odd function over an interval centered at the origin is 0:
Integrate[FresnelS[x], {x, -5, 5}]Integrate[FresnelS[z^β], z]//FullSimplifyIntegrate[(FresnelS[a Sqrt[z]]^2/Sqrt[z]), z]Integrate[t^α - 1FresnelS[t], {t, 0, Infinity}, Assumptions -> {-3 < α < 0}]Series Expansions (5)
Taylor expansion for FresnelS:
Series[FresnelS[x], {x, 0, 11}]Plot the first three approximations for FresnelS around
:
terms = Normal@{Series[FresnelS[x], {x, 0, 3}], Series[FresnelS[x], {x, 0, 7}], Series[FresnelS[x], {x, 0, 11}]};
Plot[{FresnelS[x], terms}, {x, 0, 1.5}]General term in the series expansion of FresnelS:
SeriesCoefficient[FresnelS[x], {x, 0, n}]Find series expansion at infinity:
Series[FresnelS[x], {x, Infinity, 3}]//NormalGive the result for an arbitrary symbolic direction
:
Series[FresnelS[x], {x, DirectedInfinity[z], 1}]//Normal//FullSimplifyFresnelS can be applied to power series:
FresnelS[x + (x^2/2) + (x^3/9) + O[x]^4]Integral Transforms (2)
Compute the Laplace transform using LaplaceTransform:
LaplaceTransform[FresnelS[t], t, s]MellinTransform[FresnelS[x], x, s]Function Identities and Simplifications (2)
Verify an identity relating HypergeometricPFQ to FresnelS:
(6 FresnelS[z]/π z^3) == HypergeometricPFQ[{(3/4)}, {(3/2), (7/4)}, -(π^2 z^4/16)]//FullSimplifyFresnelS[I z]//FunctionExpandFresnelS[Sqrt[z^2]]//FunctionExpandFunction Representations (5)
Integrate[Sin[Pi / 2 t ^ 2], {t, 0, z}]Relation to the error function Erf:
(1 + I/4) (Erf[(1 + I/2) Sqrt[π] z] - I Erf[(1 - I/2)Sqrt[π] z])//FullSimplifyFresnelS can be represented as a DifferentialRoot:
DifferentialRootReduce[FresnelS[x], x]FresnelS can be represented in terms of MeijerG:
MeijerGReduce[FresnelS[x], x]Activate[%]//FullSimplifyTraditionalForm formatting:
FresnelS[x]//TraditionalFormApplications (5)
Intensity of a wave diffracted by a half‐plane:
Plot[(1/2)(FresnelS[d] + (1/2))^2 + (1/2)(FresnelC[d] + (1/2))^2, {d, -2, 4}]ParametricPlot[{FresnelC[x], FresnelS[x]}, {x, -4, 4}]A solution of the time‐dependent 1D Schrödinger equation for a sudden opening of a shutter:
ψ[x_, t_] = (1/2) E^-(I(t - 2 x)/2) (1 + (1 + I) FresnelS[( t - x/Sqrt[π t])] + (1 - I) FresnelC[( t - x/Sqrt[π t])]);Check the Schrödinger equation:
I D[ψ[x, t], t] == -(1/2)D[ψ[x, t], x, x]//SimplifyPlot the time‐dependent solution:
Plot3D[Abs[ψ[x, t]], {x, -5, 5}, {t, 0, 5}]Plot of FresnelS along a circle in the complex plane:
ParametricPlot[ReIm[FresnelS[2 Exp[I φ]]], {φ, 0, 2π}]Fractional derivative of Sin:
FractionalD[Sin[x], {x, m}]Derivative of order
of Sin:
FractionalD[Sin[x], {x, 1 / 2}]//FunctionExpand//FullSimplifyPlot a smooth transition between the derivative and integral of Sin:
Plot3D[Evaluate[FractionalD[Sin[x], {x, m}]], {x, 0, 2Pi}, {m, -1, 1}]Properties & Relations (6)
Use FullSimplify to simplify expressions containing Fresnel integrals:
FresnelS[z] - HypergeometricPFQ[{(3/4)}, {(3/2), (7/4)}, -(π^2 z^4/16)]//FullSimplifyFindRoot[FresnelS[z] == 1 / Pi, {z, 1}]Obtain FresnelS from integrals and sums:
Integrate[Sin[Pi / 2 t ^ 2], {t, 0, z}]z^3 Underoverscript[∑, k = 0, ∞](2^-2 k - 1 π^2 k + 1 (-z^4)^k/(4 k + 3) (2 k + 1)!)//FunctionExpandSolve a differential equation:
DSolve[z Derivative[3][w][z] - Derivative[2][w][z] + π^2 z^3 Derivative[1][w][z] == 0, w, z]Det[Outer[D[#1, {x, #2}]&, {1, FresnelC[x], FresnelS[x]}, {0, 1, 2}]]Simplify[%]Compare with Wronskian:
Wronskian[{1, FresnelC[x], FresnelS[x]}, x]Integrate[FresnelS[z^β], z]//FullSimplifyFourierTransform[FresnelS[t], t, s]LaplaceTransform[FresnelS[t], t, s]//FunctionExpand//SimplifyPossible Issues (2)
FresnelS can take large values for moderate‐size arguments:
FresnelS[1000.(1 + I)]Some references use a different convention for the Fresnel integrals:
FresnelS1[x_] = (1/Sqrt[2Pi])Integrate[(1/Sqrt[t])Sin[t], {t, 0, x}]See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
Related Links
History
Introduced in 1996 (3.0) | Updated in 2021 (13.0) ▪ 2022 (13.1)
Text
Wolfram Research (1996), FresnelS, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FresnelS.html (updated 2022).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1996. "FresnelS." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2022. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FresnelS.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1996). FresnelS. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FresnelS.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_fresnels, author="Wolfram Research", title="{FresnelS}", year="2022", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FresnelS.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_fresnels, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={FresnelS}, year={2022}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/FresnelS.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}