Imperial College London

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Signals and Systems
2
nd
Year EE and ISE

PART 1-PROBLEMS
Introduction


Academic responsible
Dr. Tania STATHAKI
Room 811b
Ext. 46229
Email: t.stathaki@ic.ac.uk
http://www.commsp.ee.ic.ac.uk/~tania/






1
Problem 1

Question
Sketch each of the following continuous-time signals. For each case, specify if the signal is causal/non-causal,
periodic/non-periodic, odd/even. If the signal is periodic specify its period.
(i) ) 2 sin( 2 ) ( t t x =
(ii)

<

=

0 , 0
0 , 3
) (
2
t
t e
t x
t

(iii)

<

=

0 , 0
0 , 1
) (
t
t e
t x
t

(iv) t t x / 1 ) ( =

Answer
(i) Non-causal, because it takes non-zero values for < < t . Periodic with period 1. Odd because
) ( ) ( t x t x = .
(ii) Causal, because it takes non-zero values for < t 0 . Non-periodic. Neither odd nor even.
(iii) Causal, because it takes non-zero values for < t 0 . Non-periodic. Neither odd nor even.
(iv) Non-causal, because it takes non-zero values for < < t . Non-periodic. Even because ) ( ) ( t x t x = .


Problem 2

Question
Sketch the signal

=
otherwise , 0
1 0 , 1
) (
t t
t x
Now sketch each of the following and describe briefly in words how each of the signals can be derived from the
original signal ) (t x .
(i) ) 3 ( + t x
(ii) ) 1 ( t x
(iii) ) 3 ( t x
(iv) ) 3 / (t x
(v) ) 1 3 / ( + t x
(vi) ) ( t x
(vii) ) 2 ( + t x
(viii) ) 3 ( t x
(ix) ) 2 ( t x
(x) ) 2 / ( t x
(xi) ) 1 2 ( + t x

Answer











) (t x
t 1
1

2
(i) Left shift by 3.
(ii) Right shift by 1.
(iii) Linearly compress by factor of 3.
(iv) Linearly stress (expand) by factor of 3.
(v) ] 3 / ) 3 [( ) 1 3 / ( + = + t x t x . Linearly stress (expand) by factor of 3 and shift left by 3.
(vi) Time reverse.
(vii) Time reverse and shift right by 2.
(viii) Time reverse and shift left by 3.
(ix) Time reverse and linearly compress by factor of 2.
(x) Time reverse and linearly expand by factor of 2.
(xi) )] 2 / 1 ( 2 [ ) 1 2 ( = + t x t x . Time reverse, linearly compress by factor of 2 and shift right by .


Problem 3

Question
Sketch each of the following discrete-time signals. For each case, specify if the signal is causal/non-causal,
periodic/non-periodic, odd/even. If the signal is periodic specify its period.
(i) ) cos( ] [ n n x =
(ii)

<
+
=
0 , 0
0 ), 1 /( 1
] [
n
n n
n x
(iii)

>

=

0 , 0
0 , 5 . 0
] [
n
n
n x
n


Answer
(i) Non-causal, because it takes non-zero values for < < n . Periodic with period 2. Even because
] [ ] [ n x n x = . We all know how it looks like.
(ii) Causal, because it takes non-zero values for < n 0 . Non-periodic. Neither odd nor even.



(iii) Non-causal, because it takes non-zero values for 0 < n . Non-periodic. Neither odd nor even.




3
Problem 4

Question
Consider the rectangular function

=
<
=
otherwise , 0
2 / 1 , 2 / 1
2 / 1 , 1
) ( t
t
t
(i) Sketch

=
=
1
0
) ( ) (
k
k t t x
(ii) Sketch

+
=
=
k
k t t x ) ( ) ( . There must be a simpler way to express this signal.

Answer









(i)

= =
< <
=
otherwise , 0
2 / 3 and , 2 / 1 , 2 / 1
2 / 3 2 / 1 , 1
) ( t t
t
t x
(ii) 1 ) ( = t x


Problem 5

Question
Consider a discrete-time signal ] [n x , fed as input into a system. The system produces the discrete-time output
] [n y such that

=
odd
even
n
n n x
n y
, 0
], [
] [
(i) Is the system described above memoryless? Explain.
(ii) Is the system described above causal? Explain.
(iii) Are memoryless systems in general causal? Explain.
(iv) Are causal systems in general memoryless? Explain.
(v) Is the system described above linear, time-invariant? Explain.
(vi) Express ] [n y compactly as a function of ] [n x .

Answer
(i) It is memoryless since the output at time instant n depends on the input only at time instant n and not
past or future time instants.
(ii) It is causal since the output at time instant n depends on the input only at time instant n and not future
time instants.
(iii) Obviously yes.
(iv) No. If the output at time instant n depends on the input at time instant n and past time instants the
system is causal but not memoryless.
(v)
2
] [ ) 1 ( ] [
] [
n x n x
n y
n
+
= .
-1/2 0
1
1/2 1/2
1 3/2
4
From this we see that if the input signal ] [
1
n x produces an output signal ] [
1
n y and the input signal ] [
2
n x
produces an output signal ] [
2
n y then the input signal ] [ ] [
2 2 1 1
n x a n x a + produces the output
] [ ] [
2
]) [ ] [ ( ) 1 ( ]) [ ] [ (
] [
2 2 1 1
2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1
3
n y a n y a
n x a n x a n x a n x a
n y
n
+ =
+ + +
= .
Therefore, the system is linear.
However, if the input signal ] [n x produces an output signal ] [n y then the input signal ] [
o
n n x
produces the output
2
] [ ) 1 ( ] [
] [
1
o
n
o
n n x n n x
n y
+
= .
We see that ] [
2
] [ ) 1 ( ] [
] [
1
n y
n n x n n x
n n y
o
n n
o
o
o

+
=


Therefore, the system is time varying.

(vi) Answered in (v).


Problem 6

Question
State with a brief explanation if the following systems are linear/non-linear, causal/non-causal, time-
invariant/time-varying.
(i) ] 1 [ ] [ ] [ = n x n x n y
(ii) ]) [ sgn( ] [ n x n y =
(iii) b n ax n y + = ] [ ] [
(iv) ] 2 [ ] [
2
+ = n x n n y
(v)

=
=
n
k
k x n y ] [ ] [
Answer
(i) Linear, causal, time invariant.
Proof
We see that if the input signal ] [
1
n x produces an output signal ] [
1
n y and the input signal ] [
2
n x produces
an output signal ] [
2
n y then the input signal ] [ ] [
2 2 1 1
n x a n x a + produces the output
] [ ] [ ]) 1 [ ] [ ( ]) 1 [ ] [ (
]) 1 [ ] 1 [ ( ]) [ ] [ ( ] [
2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 3
n y a n y a n x a n x a n x a n x a
n x a n x a n x a n x a n y
+ = + =
+ + =

Therefore, the system is linear.
If the input signal ] [n x produces an output signal ] [n y then the input signal ] [
o
n n x produces the
output ] 1 [ ] [ ] [
1 o o
n n x n n x n y = .
We see that ] [ ] [
1
n y n n y
o
=
Therefore, the system is time invariant.

(ii) Non-linear, causal, time invariant.
Proof
We see that if the input signal ] [
1
n x produces an output signal ] [
1
n y and the input signal ] [
2
n x produces
an output signal ] [
2
n y then the input signal ] [ ] [
2 2 1 1
n x a n x a + produces the output
] [ ] [ ]) [ sgn( ]) [ sgn(
]) [ ] [ sgn( ] [
2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1
2 2 1 1 3
n y a n y a n x a n x a
n x a n x a n y
+ = + =
+ =

Therefore, the system is non-linear.
If the input signal ] [n x produces an output signal ] [n y then the input signal ] [
o
n n x produces the
output ]) [ sgn( ] [
1 o
n n x n y = .
We see that ] [ ] [
1
n y n n y
o
=
Therefore, the system is time invariant.

5
(iii) Non-linear, causal, time invariant.
Proof
We see that if the input signal ] [
1
n x produces an output signal ] [
1
n y and the input signal ] [
2
n x produces
an output signal ] [
2
n y then the input signal ] [ ] [
2 2 1 1
n x a n x a + produces the output
] [ ] [ ) ( ]) [ ] [ ( ) ] [ ( ) ] [ (
]) [ ] [ ( ] [
2 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1
2 2 1 1 3
n y a n y a a a b n x a n x a a b n ax a b n ax a
b n x a n x a a n y
+ = + + + = + + +
+ + =

Therefore, the system is non-linear.
If the input signal ] [n x produces an output signal ] [n y then the input signal ] [
o
n n x produces the
output b n n ax n y
o
+ = ] [ ] [
1
.
We see that ] [ ] [
1
n y n n y
o
=
Therefore, the system is time invariant.

(iv) Linear, non-causal, time varying.
We see that if the input signal ] [
1
n x produces an output signal ] [
1
n y and the input signal ] [
2
n x produces
an output signal ] [
2
n y then the input signal ] [ ] [
2 2 1 1
n x a n x a + produces the output
] [ ] [ ] 2 [ ] 2 [
]) 2 [ ] 2 [ ( ] [
2 2 1 1 2
2
2 1
2
1
2 2 1 1
2
3
n y a n y a n x n a n x n a
n x a n x a n n y
+ = + + + =
= + + + =

Therefore, the system is linear.
If the input signal ] [n x produces an output signal ] [n y then the input signal ] [
o
n n x produces the
output ] [ ] [
2
1 o
n n x n n y = .
We see that ] [ ] [ ) ( ] [
1
2
n y n n x n n n n y
o o o
=
Therefore, the system is time varying.

(v) Linear, causal, time invariant.

=
=
n
k
k x n y ] [ ] [
We see that if the input signal ] [
1
n x produces an output signal ] [
1
n y and the input signal ] [
2
n x produces
an output signal ] [
2
n y then the input signal ] [ ] [
2 2 1 1
n x a n x a + produces the output
] [ ] [ ] 2 [ ] 2 [ ]) 2 [ ] 2 [ ( ] [
2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 3
n y a n y a n x a n x a n x a n x a n y
n
k
n
k
n
k
+ = + + + = + + + =

= = =

Therefore, the system is linear.
If the input signal ] [n x produces an output signal ] [n y then the input signal ] [
o
n n x produces the
output


= =
= =
o
n n
n
k
o
x n k x n y

] [ ] [ ] [
1
(we use the variable transformation =
o
n k ).
We see that ] [ ] [
1
n y n n y
o
=
Therefore, the system is time invariant.



Problem 7

Question
State with a brief explanation if the following systems are linear/non-linear, causal/non-causal, time-
invariant/time-varying.
(i) ) 2 cos( ) ( ) ( + = t f t x t y
o

(ii) )) ( 2 cos( ) ( t x t f A t y
o
+ =
(iii)

=
t
d x t y ) ( ) (
(iv) b t ax t y + = ) ( ) (
6
(v)
dt
t dx
t y
) (
) ( =
(vi) ) 2 ( ) ( t x t y =
(vii) ) ( ) ( t x t y =

Answer
(i) Linear, causal, time varying.
(ii) Non-linear, causal, time varying.
(iii) Linear, causal, time invariant.
(iv) Non-linear, causal, time invariant.
(v) Linear, non-causal, time invariant.
(vi) Linear, non-causal, time varying.
(vii) Linear, non-causal, time varying.