What is the Discrete cosine transform?

Answer 1

A special function in computerized modeling that calculates a series of numbers based on various inputs and outputs of y=cos(x). The output of this function creates all sorts of visual curves (if graphed) when run with a wide range of numbers (from a .jpeg or .mp3 file, for example), and it creates a very useful and efficient compression/decompression of frequencies (both of sound and light) that we normally experience in nature.

What makes this transform so special is that there are certian harmonics and overtones that must be present, (but not perfectly/exactly reproduced) for the viewer/listener to believe that the picture or sound is real. There are many different "functions" that can be used for this compression, but the COSINE transform most closely re-creates the harmonics and overtones the closest to what the normal frequencies (or colors in light frequency), and it is very good at "fooling" the eye or the ear in believing that all the data is there, and it can very quickly give a 10