Sinc[z]
gives
.
Sinc
Sinc[z]
gives
.
Details
- Mathematical function, suitable for both symbolic and numerical manipulation.
- The argument of Sinc is assumed to be in radians. (Multiply by Degree to convert from degrees.)
- Sinc[z] is equivalent to Sin[z]/z for
, but is 1 for
. - For certain special arguments, Sinc automatically evaluates to exact values.
- Sinc can be evaluated to arbitrary numerical precision.
- Sinc automatically threads over lists. »
- Sinc can be used with Interval and CenteredInterval objects. »
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (4)
The argument is given in radians:
Sinc[Pi / 2]Plot[Sinc[x], {x, -10, 10}]Plot over a subset of the complexes:
ComplexPlot3D[Sinc[z], {z, -2π - 2I, 2π + 2I}, PlotLegends -> Automatic]Find the Fourier transform of Sinc:
FourierTransform[Sinc[t], t, ω]Scope (43)
Numerical Evaluation (6)
Sinc[3.5]N[Sinc[35 / 10], 50]The precision of the output tracks the precision of the input:
Sinc[3.50000000000000000000000]Sinc[1 + 3.5 I]Evaluate Sinc efficiently at high precision:
Sinc[1.2`500]//TimingSinc[1.2`100000];//TimingCompute the elementwise values of an array using automatic threading:
Sinc[{{(π/3), -(π/3)}, {0, -(π/6)}}]Or compute the matrix Sinc function using MatrixFunction:
MatrixFunction[Sinc[#]&, {{(π/3), -(π/3)}, {0, -(π/6)}}]Compute worst-case guaranteed intervals using Interval and CenteredInterval objects:
Sinc[Interval[{-Pi / 6, Pi / 6}]]Sinc[CenteredInterval[1, 1 / 100]]Sinc[CenteredInterval[2 + 3I, (1 + I) / 100]]Or compute average-case statistical intervals using Around:
Sinc[Around[(2/Sqrt[3]), 0.1]]Specific Values (4)
Sinc[0]Values of Sinc at fixed points:
Table[Sinc[n (π/3)], {n, 0, 6}]Sinc[Infinity]Sinc[ComplexInfinity]The zeros of Sinc:
Assuming[m∈Integers && m ≠ 0, FullSimplify[Sinc[π m]]]Find the first positive zero using Solve:
xzero = Solve[Sinc[x] == 0 && 0 < x < 5, x]xzero = x /. First[%]Plot[Sinc[x], {x, 0, 5}, Epilog -> Style[Point[{xzero, Sinc[xzero]}], PointSize[Large], Red]]Visualization (3)
Plot the Sinc function:
Plot[Sinc[x], {x, -4π, 4π}]//RasterizeComplexContourPlot[Re[Sinc[z]], {z, -3π - π I, 3π + π I}, IconizedObject[«PlotOptions»]]ComplexContourPlot[Im[Sinc[z]], {z, -3π - π I, 3π + π I}, IconizedObject[«PlotOptions»]]Table[PolarPlot[Sinc[k ϕ], {ϕ, -4π, 4π}, Sequence[Frame -> True, PlotRange -> {{-0.2, 0.2}, {-0.2, 0.2}}, FrameTicks -> {{{-0.1, 0, 0.1}, None}, {{-0.1, 0, 0.1}, None}}, PlotLabel -> "k=" <> ToString[k]]], {k, 1, 6}]Function Properties (10)
Sinc is defined for all real and complex values:
FunctionDomain[Sinc[x], x]FunctionDomain[Sinc[z], z, Complexes]Approximate real range of Sinc:
FunctionRange[Sinc[x], x, y]//QuietSinc is an even function:
Sinc[-x]Sinc is an analytic function of x:
FunctionAnalytic[Sinc[x], x]Sinc is monotonic in a specific range:
FunctionMonotonicity[Sinc[x], x]FunctionMonotonicity[{Sinc[x], 0 < x < π}, x]Sinc is not injective:
FunctionInjective[Sinc[x], x]Plot[{Sinc[x], 1 / 2}, {x, -4π, 4π}]FunctionSurjective[Sinc[x], x]Plot[{Sinc[x], 1.5}, {x, -4π, 4π}]Sinc is neither non-negative nor non-positive:
FunctionSign[Sinc[x], x]Sinc has no singularities or discontinuities:
FunctionSingularities[Sinc[x], x]FunctionDiscontinuities[Sinc[x], x]Sinc is neither convex nor concave:
FunctionConvexity[Sinc[x], x]In [-π/2, π/2], it is concave:
FunctionConvexity[{Sinc[x], -π / 2 < x < π / 2}, x]TraditionalForm formatting:
Sinc[x]//TraditionalFormDifferentiation (2)
Integration (3)
Indefinite integral of Sinc:
Integrate[Sinc[x], x]D[%, x]Definite integral of Sinc:
Integrate[Sinc[x], {x, -Infinity, Infinity}]Integrate[Sin[x]Sinc[x], x]Integrate[Exp[x]Sinc[x], x]Integrate[x^aSinc[x], x]Series Expansions (4)
Taylor expansion for Sinc:
Series[Sinc[x], {x, 0, 7}]Plot the first three approximations for Sinc around
:
terms = Normal@Table[Series[Sinc[x], {x, 0, m}], {m, 2, 6, 2}];
Plot[{Sinc[x], terms}, {x, -4, 4}]General term in the series expansion of Sinc:
SeriesCoefficient[Sinc[x], {x, 0, n}]The first-order Fourier series:
FourierSeries[Sinc[z], z, 1]Sinc can be applied to a power series:
Sinc[ ArcSin[x] + O[x] ^ 10]Integral Transforms (3)
Compute the Laplace transform using LaplaceTransform:
LaplaceTransform[Sinc[t], t, s ]MellinTransform[Sinc[x], x, s ]HankelTransform[Sinc[r], r, s ]Function Identities and Simplifications (4)
Definition of Sinc:
Sinc[x] == (Sin[x]/x)//FullSimplifySinc of a sum:
FunctionExpand[Sinc[x + y]]%//TrigExpandExpand assuming real variables x and y:
ComplexExpand@FunctionExpand@Sinc[x + I y]TrigToExp[FunctionExpand@Sinc[z]]Function Representations (4)
Representation through Bessel functions:
FullSimplify[Sinc[x] == Sqrt[( π x/2)]BesselJ[(1/2), x] / x]FullSimplify[Sinc[x] == -I Sqrt[( π I x/2)]BesselI[(1/2), I x] / x]Representation through gamma function:
Sinc[x] == (1/Gamma[1 + (x/π)]Gamma[1 - (x/π)])//FullSimplifyRepresentation in terms of MeijerG:
MeijerGReduce[Sinc[x], x]Sinc can be represented as a DifferentialRoot:
DifferentialRootReduce[Sinc[x], x]Applications (3)
Single-slit diffraction pattern for a 4λ slit:
Plot[Sinc[(4 π x/Sqrt[1 + x^2])]^2, {x, -1, 1}, PlotRange -> All]Sinc-filtered Cauchy distribution:
Integrate[ (1/Pi)(Sinc[x - z]/1 + x ^ 2), {x, -Infinity, Infinity}, GenerateConditions -> False]Plot[(1/1 + x^2), {x, -10, 10}] -> Plot[%, {z, -10, 10}]A sinc signal is unaltered by sinc filter:
Integrate[ (1/Pi)Sinc[x - z]Sinc[x], {x, -Infinity, Infinity}, GenerateConditions -> False]Properties & Relations (2)
Use FunctionExpand to expand expressions involving Sinc:
FunctionExpand[Sinc[x], x ≠ 0]Sinc[Pi / 8]FunctionExpand[%]Use FullSimplify to simplify expressions involving Sinc:
FullSimplify[x ^ 2 Sinc[x / 2]Cos[x / 2]]Possible Issues (1)
Non‐trivial minima and maxima of Sinc do not have ordinary closed forms:
Sinc[Interval[{Pi, 3Pi}]]Find numerical approximations:
N[%, 30]See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
Text
Wolfram Research (2007), Sinc, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sinc.html (updated 2021).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2007. "Sinc." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2021. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sinc.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2007). Sinc. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sinc.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_sinc, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Sinc}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sinc.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2026_sinc, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Sinc}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sinc.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}