Because of this work Dirichlet is considered the founder of the theory of Fourier series. Riemann, who was a student of Dirichlet, wrote in the introduction to his habilitation thesis on Fourier series that it was Dirichlet:
Dahil sa ito gumagana Dirichlet ay isinasaalang-alang ang mga tagapagtatag ng teorya ng Fourier series. Riemann, na noon ay isang mag-aaral ng Dirichlet, wrote sa ang pagpapakilala sa kanyang habilitation sanaysay sa Fourier series na ito ay Dirichlet: