(Revised) Solution of Assignment – 2

EE238 B1: Continuous-Time Signals and Systems

Winter 2009
Problem 1

(i) Using the impulse function property f(t) δ(t − t0) = f(t0) δ(t − t0), we obtain
⎡ ⎤
sin(t ) 1 sin(t ) 1⎢ sin(t ) ⎥
δ (t ) = ⋅ δ (t ) = ⎢lim ⎥ δ (t ) = 2 δ (t )
1
2t 2 t t =0 2 t →0 t
⎢⎣   =1

⎥
⎦
where the L’Hopital’s rule is applied to evaluate the value of sin(t)/t at t = 0.

∞ ∞
(ii). ∫ ⎡⎣sin ( 3π t 4 ) + e−2 t +1 ⎤⎦ δ ( −(t + 1) ) dt = ∫ ⎡⎣sin ( 3π t 4 ) + e
−2 t +1
⎤⎦ δ ( t + 1) dt = ⎡⎣sin ( 3π t 4 ) + e −2t +1 ⎤⎦
t =−1
−∞ −∞

= sin ( −3π 4 ) + e3 = e3 − sin ( 3π 4 ) = e3 − 1

2
.

Problem 2

⎛ t −T ⎞
(i) f (t ) = a × t × rect ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 8 ⎠
⎛t +2⎞
⎟ . Therefore, a = 0.5 and T = −2 . Note that
It can be shown easily that f (t ) = 0.5 × t × rect ⎜
⎝ 8 ⎠
⎛t⎞ ⎛t+2⎞
rect ⎜ ⎟ is a rectangular pulse of width 8 (height=1), centered at t=0 whereas rect ⎜ ⎟ is a
⎝8⎠ ⎝ 8 ⎠
rectangular pulse of width 8, centered at t=-2.

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 f (t)

1
t
−6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5

−3

(ii) The function g (t ) = f ( −2t + 6) = f ( −2(t − 3)) is shown below.

f (t)

1
t
−6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5

−3
f (−t)

1
t
−6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

−3

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Problem 3:
(i) y (t ) = x (t − 2)

(a) Linearity: For inputs x1 (t ), x2 (t ), x3 (t ) = α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t ) , the outputs are given by

x1 (t ) → x1 (t − 2) = y1 (t )
x2 (t ) → x2 (t − 2) = y2 (t )
x3 (t ) = α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t ) → y3 (t ) = x3 (t − 2) = α x1 (t − 2) + β x2 (t − 2).
Because y3 (t ) = α x1 (t − 2) + β x2 (t − 2) = α y1 (t ) + β y2 (t ) , the system is a linear system.

(b) Time Invariance: For inputs x1(t) and x2(t) = x1(t − T), the outputs are given by
x1 (t ) → x1 (t − 2) = y1 (t )
x2 (t ) = x1 (t − T ) → x2 (t − 2) = x1 (t − T − 2) = y2 ( t ) .

Because y1 (t − T ) = x1 (t − T − 2) = y2 (t ) , the system is time invariant.

(c) Stability: Assume that the input is bounded |x(t)| ≤ M. Then, the output
y (t ) = x(t − 2) ≤ M

is also bounded proving that the system is BIBO stable.

(d) Causality: Since the output depends only on the past input and does not depend on the future
values of the input, therefore, the system is causal.
(e) Since the output depends on the past input (e.g., y (10) = x (10 − 2) = x (8) ), the system is NOT
memoryless.

(ii) y (t ) = x(2t ) − 5
(a) Linearity: For inputs x1 (t ), x2 (t ), x3 (t ) = α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t ) , the outputs are given by

x1 (t ) → x1 (2t ) − 5 = y1 ( t )
x2 (t ) → x2 (2t ) − 5 = y2 ( t )
x3 (t ) = α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t ) → y3 (t ) = α x1 (2t ) + β x2 (2t ) − 5
Note that α y1 (t ) + β y2 (t ) = α x1 (2t ) + β x2 (2t ) − 5α − 5β .

Because y3 (t ) = α x1 (2t ) + β x2 (2t ) − 5 ≠ α y1 (t ) + β y2 (t ) , the system is NOT a linear system.

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 (b) Time Invariance: For inputs x1(t) and x2(t) = x1(t − T), the outputs are given by
x1 (t ) → x1 (2t ) − 5 = y1 (t )
x2 (t ) = x1 (t − T ) → x2 (2t ) − 5 = y2 (t ).
Noting that x2 (t ) = x1 (t − T ) , the output y2 (t ) can be expressed as a function of x1 (t ) as follows:

y2 (t ) = x2 (2t ) − 5 = x1 (t − T ) t =2t − 5 = x1 (2t − T ) − 5 .

On the other hand,

y1 (t − T ) = x1 (2t ) t =t −T − 5 = x1 (2(t − T )) − 5 = x1 (2t − 2T ) − 5 .

Because y1 (t − T ) ≠ y2 (t ) , the system is NOT time invariant.

(c) Stability: Assume that the input is bounded |x(t)| ≤ M. Then, the output
y (t ) = x(2t ) − 5 ≤ x(2t ) + 5 ≤ M + 5

is also bounded proving that the system is BIBO stable.

(d) Causality: For (t > 0), the system requires future values of the input to calculate the current
value of the input. For example, y (10) = x(2 × 10) − 5 = x(20) − 5 . Therefore, the system is NOT
causal.
(e) Since all noncausal systems must have memory, the system is NOT memoryless.

Problem 4:
(a) Linearity: For inputs x1 (t ), x2 (t ), x3 (t ) = α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t ) , the outputs are given by

x1 (t ) → c1 x1 (t ) + c2 x12 (t ) = y1 ( t )
x2 (t ) → c1 x2 (t ) + c2 x 22 (t ) = y2 ( t )
x3 (t ) = α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t ) → y3 (t ) = c1 x3 (t ) + c2 x 32 (t ) = c1 [α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t )] + c2 [α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t )]
2

The output y3 (t ) can be simplified as follows:

y3 (t ) = c1 [α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t )] + c2 [α x1 (t ) + β x2 (t )]
2

= α c1 x1 (t ) + β c1 x2 (t ) + c2α 2 x12 (t ) + c2 β 2 x22 (t ) + 2αβ c2 x1 (t ) x2 (t )

On the other hand, α y1 (t ) + β y2 (t ) = α ⎡⎣ c1 x1 (t ) + c2 x12 (t ) ⎤⎦ + β ⎡⎣ c1 x2 (t ) + c2 x 22 (t ) ⎤⎦ .

It is obvious that y3 (t ) ≠ α y1 (t ) + β y2 (t ) , and therefore the system is NOT a linear system.

(b)
(i) Time Invariance: For input x1(t) and x2(t) = x1(t − T), the respective outputs are given by
x1 ( t ) → y1 ( t ) = c1 x1 (t ) + c2 x12 (t )
x2 ( t ) = x1 ( t − T ) → y2 ( t ) = c1 x2 (t ) + c2 x22 (t ) = c1 x1 ( t − T ) + c2 x12 ( t − T )

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 Since y1 (t − T ) = c1 x1 (t ) + c2 x12 (t ) = c1 x1 ( t − T ) + c2 x12 ( t − T ) = y2 ( t ) , the system is time
 

= y1 ( t ) t =t −T
invariant.
(ii) Memory: The output v2(t) depends only on the current value of the input v1(t). Therefore, the system
is memoryless.
(iii) Stable: Assuming that |v1(t)| ≤ M < ∞, the output v2(t) is bounded by
v2 ( t ) = c1v1 (t ) + c2v12 (t ) ≤ c1 v1 (t ) + c2 v12 (t ) ≤ c1M + c2 M 2 < ∞ .

Therefore, the system is stable.

Problem 5:
(i) Given the input-output relationship y (t ) = x (2t ) − 5 , the plots of
x1 (t ) → y1 (t ), x2 (t ) → y2 (t ), x3 (t ) → y3 (t ) are shown in the figure below.

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(ii) From the plots, we observe that x2 (t ) = 0.5 x1 (t ) . However, y2 (t ) ≠ 0.5 y1 (t ) . For example, at t=-1,
y2 ( −1) = −5 = y1 ( −1) . Therefore, at t=-1, y2 ( −1) ≠ 0.5 y1 ( −1) . At t=0, y2 (0) = −4.5 & y1 (0) = −4 .
Therefore, again y2 (0) ≠ 0.5 y1 (0) . In other words, the system does not satisfy the homogeneity property,
and therefore is NOT linear.

(iii) From the plots, we observe that x3 (t ) = x1 (t − 2) . However, y3 (t ) ≠ y1 (t − 2). . If you observe
carefully you will find that y3 (t ) = y1 (t − 1). In other words, we applied the input with a delay of 2 time
units, and the system produces the same output but with a delay of one time unit. As the output delay is
not equal to the corresponding input delay, the system is NOT time-invariant.

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