Discrete Cosine Transform

The Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) is a mathematical technique used to analyze signals, like images or audio, by breaking them down into basic frequency components. It helps identify which parts of a signal change rapidly (high frequencies) and which are more steady (low frequencies). This is useful for compressing data because many signals contain lots of slow-changing information, allowing the high-frequency details to be discarded with minimal loss. Essentially, DCT simplifies complex signals into their core frequencies, making it easier to process, transmit, and store efficiently without losing significant quality.