A discrete approach to Wirtinger's inequality

Abstract

Considering Wirtinger's inequality for piece-wise equipartite functions we find a discrete version of this classical inequality. The main tool we use is the theorem of classification of isometries. Our approach provides a new elementary proof of Wirtinger's inequality that also allows to study the case of equality. Moreover it leads in a natural way to the Fourier series development of $2\pi$-periodic functions.