DFTI : A new interface for fast fourier transform libraries

The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm that calculates the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is one of the major breakthroughs in scientific computing and is now an indispensable tool in a vast number of fields. Unfortunately, software applications that provide fast computation of DFT via FFT differ vastly in functionality and lack uniformity. A widely accepted Applications Programmer Interface (API) for DFT would advance the field of scientific computing significantly. In this article, we present the specification of DFTI, a new interface that combines functionality with ease of use. This API is our strawman proposal toward a common interface for DFT calculations.