18-290

Signals and Systems

Profs. Byron Yu and Pulkit Grover Fall 2017

Midterm 1 Solutions

Name:

Andrew ID:

Problem Score Max

1 10
2 8
3 12
4 6
5 10
6 10
7 12
8 13
9 13
10 6
Total 100
2 Midterm 1 Solutions

1. (10 points) Determine whether the following statements or equations are true or false
by circling the answer. No explanation is needed.

(a) The signal x[n] = sin(2n) is periodic.

True False
(b) To obtain the graph of y(t) = x(2t + 2), we first scale x(t) in time by 2 and then
shift it to the left by 1.
True False
(c) The system with input x[n] and output y[n] = 3x[n − 2] is memoryless.
True False
(d) cos(t) ∗ δ(t − 2π) = 1
True False
e−jωt −ejωt
(e) sin(ωt) = −2j

True False

Solution

(a) False. This is a DT signal and scaling it with integer makes it aperiodic.
(b) True.
(c) False. The output is dependent on past input.
(d) False. y(t) = cos(t − 2π) = cos(t)
(e) True.
Midterm 1 Solutions 3

2. (8 points) Determine whether the following signals are periodic and justify. If the
signal is periodic, find the fundamental period.

(a) x(t) = et cos(πt + 1) + 4

e−jωt +ejwt
(b) x(t) = 2
π
(c) x[n] = sin( 2 n) cos(n + 1)
(d) x[n] = sin2 ( 3π
2
n) + sin( 3π
4
n)

Solution:

(a) Not periodic due to et .

2π
(b) Periodic because x(t) = cos(ωt), and the fundamental period is ω
.
(c) Not periodic since cos(n + 1) is not periodic.
(d) Periodic because sin2 ( 3π
2
n) and sin( 3π
4
n) are both periodic. The fundamental
2 3π 3π
periods of sin ( 2 n) and sin( 4 n) are 2 and 8, so the fundamental period of x[n]
is 8.
4 Midterm 1 Solutions

3. (12 points) Determine the total energy and average power of the following signals.

2,
 −3 ≤ t ≤ 3
(a) x(t) = 5 − t, 3≤t≤5

0, otherwise


(b) x(t) = cos(t) sin(t)

(c) x[n] = an u[−n], |a| > 1

Solution:

(a) Energy:

Z∞
E= |x(t)|2 dt
t=−∞
Z3 Z5
2
= |x(t)| dt + |x(t)|2 dt
t=−3 t=3
Z3 Z5
= (2)2 dt + (5 − t)2 dt
t=−3 t=3
Z3 Z5
= 4dt + (25 + t2 − 10t)dt
t=−3 t=3
3 1 5
= (4t) + (25t + t3 − 5t2 )
 
t=−3 3 t=3
1
= (4(3) − 4(−3)) + (25(5 − 3) + (53 − 33 ) − 5(52 − 32 ))
3
98
= 24 + (50 + − 80)
3
8
= 24 +
3
80
=
3

Power:

ZT
1
P = lim |x(t)|2 dt.
T →∞ 2T
t=−T
Midterm 1 Solutions 5

Since T is large enough, we have,

1
P = lim E
T ⇒∞ 2T
1 92
= lim
T ⇒∞ 2T 3
=0

(b) Notice that, x(t) = cos(t) sin(t) = 12 sin(2t)

Energy

Z∞
E= |x(t)|2 dt
t=−∞
Z∞
1 2
= sin (2t)dt
4
t=−∞
Z∞
1 1
= · (1 − cos(4t))dt
4 2
t=−∞
Z∞
1
= (1 − cos(4t))dt
8
t=−∞

=∞
6 Midterm 1 Solutions

Power:
ZT
1
P = lim |x(t)|2 dt
T →∞ 2T
t=−T
ZT
1 1
= lim (1 − cos(4t))dt
T →∞ 2T 8
t=−T
ZT
1
= lim (1 − cos(4t))dt
T →∞ 16T
t=−T
1 1 T
= lim · (t − sin(4t))t=−T
T →∞ 16T 4
1 1
= lim · (2T − sin(4T ))
T →∞ 16T 2
1 sin(4T )
= lim −
T →∞ 8 32T
1
= .
8
(c) Energy
∞
X
E= |x[n]|2
n=−∞
X∞
= |an u[−n]|2
n=−∞
0
X
= |a|2n
n=−∞
∞
X 1
= .
n=0
|a|2n
1
Since |a| > 1, |a| < 1, hence we can use infinite GP sum.

1
E=
1 − |a|1 2
|a|2
=
|a|2 − 1

Power Since the energy is finite, power P = 0.

Midterm 1 Solutions 7

4. (6 points) Plot the even and odd components of the following signal:

x(t)

t
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1

−2

−3

Label the axes appropriately.

0 0

Solution:

Even component xe (t) = 12 (x(t) + x(−t))

8 Midterm 1 Solutions

x(t), x(−t) xe (t)

3 3

2 2

1 1

0 t 0 t
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1 −1

−2 −2

−3 −3

Even component xo (t) = 21 (x(t) − x(−t))

x(t), −x(−t) xo (t)

3 3

2 2

1 1

0 t 0 t
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1 −1

−2 −2

−3 −3
Midterm 1 Solutions 9

5. (10 points) Consider the following continuous-time signal:

x(t)

3
2

t
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1

−2

−3

Sketch the following signals. Label the axes appropriately.

(a) y1 (t) = −x( 2t + 1)

0
10 Midterm 1 Solutions

(b) y2 (t) = 2x(−4 − t)

Solution:

(a) Shift left by 1, scale t by 0.5 and flip by x-axis

x(t)
2

0 t
−7−6−5−4−3−2−1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

−1

−2

(b) Shift right by 4, flip by y-axis and scale y by 2

Midterm 1 Solutions 11

x(t)
4

1 t
0
−7 −6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1

−2
12 Midterm 1 Solutions

6. (10 points) Consider a continuous-time LTI system H. Given input x(t) below, let
y(t) = H{x(t)} be the output of the system. Assume x(t) = 0 and y(t) = 0 for values
of t not shown.

x(t) y(t)
3 3
2 2
1
1

t t
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3
−1 −1
−2 −2
−3 −3

For the input x1 (t) given below, plot the output y1 (t) = H{x1 (t)} of the system. Label
the axes appropriately.

x1(t)
3
2
1

t
−4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4
−1
−2
−3
Midterm 1 Solutions 13

Solution:
By looking at the graphs, x1 (t) = 2x(t) − x(t − 1)
Since the system is linear and time-invariant, we have
y1 (t) = H{x1 (t)} = H{2x(t) − x(t − 1)} = 2y(t) − y(t − 1)
See the plot below.

y1 (t)

4
3
2
1

−4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 t
−1
14 Midterm 1 Solutions

7. (12 points) The following systems have x(t) or x[n] as input and y(t) or y[n] as output.
For each system state whether the following properties hold and justify:

• (1 point) Causal
• (1 point) Stable
• (2 points) Linear
• (2 points) Time invariant

(a) y(t) = tx(t)

(
x[n] if |x[n]| ≤ 10
(b) y[n] =
10 if |x[n]| > 10

Solution:

(a) Causal, not stable, linear, not time invariant

Causality: Since y(t) only depends on the current value of x(t), it is causal.
Stability: Let |x(t)| ≤ M . Then,

y(t) = tx(t)
=⇒ |y(t)| = |t||x(t)|
≤ |t|M
= M t → ∞ as t → ∞.

Hence the system is not stable.

Linearity: Let x1 (t) and x2 (t) be two inputs, and let x(t) = ax1 (t) + bx2 (t) be a
third input, where a, b are arbitrary constants. Then,

y1 (t) = tx1 (t)

y2 (t) = tx2 (t)
y(t) = tx(t)
= t(ax1 (t) + bx2 (t))
= atx1 (t) + btx2 (t)
= ay1 (t) + by2 (t).

Hence the system is linear.

Time invariance:

y(t) = tx(t)
=⇒ y(t − τ ) = (t − τ )x(t − τ ).
Midterm 1 Solutions 15

Let x̂(t) = x(t − τ ).

ŷ(t) = tx̂(t)
= tx(t − τ )
6= y(t − τ ).

Hence the system is not time invariant.

(b) Causal, stable, not linear, time invariant
Causality: Since y[n] only depends on the current value of x[n], it is causal.
Stability: Case 1: Let |x[n]| ≤ M ≤ 10. Then,

y[n] = x[n]
=⇒ |y[n]| = |x[n]|
≤M

Case 2: Let |x(t)| ≤ M > 10. Then,

(
x[n] if |x[n]| ≤ 10
y[n] =
10 if |x[n]| > 10
=⇒ |y(t)| ≤ 10

Hence the system is stable.

Linearity: Counterexample: Let x1 [n] = 10 and x2 [n] = 10 be two inputs and
let x[n] = x1 [n] + x2 [n] be a third input.
This means that x[n] = 20.

y1 [n] = 10
y2 [n] = 10
y[n] = 10
6= y1 [n] + y2 [n]

Hence the system is not linear.

16 Midterm 1 Solutions

8. (13 points) Compute the convolution y(t) = x(t) ∗ h(t), where

x(t) = u(t + 1) − u(t − 1)

h(t) = u(t) − u(t − 1)

Solution: It is easier to solve this problem graphically.

x(t)
2

0 t
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3

−1

−2

x(t)
2

0 t
−3 −2 −1 1 2 3

−1

−2

Case 1: t > 2 no overlap between two figures.

x(t)
2

0 t
−1 1 t−1 t

−1

−2

Case2: 1 < t < 2 the overlap area is 2 − t

Midterm 1 Solutions 17

x(t)
2

0 t
−1 t−1
1 t

−1

−2

Case3: 0 < t < 1 the overlap area is 1

x(t)
2

0 t
−1t − 1 t
1

−1

−2

Case4: −1 < t < 0 the overlap area is t + 1

18 Midterm 1 Solutions

x(t)
2

0 t
−1 t
t−1
1

−1

−2

Case5: t < −1 no overlap between two figures.

x(t)
2

0 t
−1 t
t−1
1

−1

−2

The complete signal,



 0, t < −1

t + 1, −1 ≤ t < 0



y(t) = 1, 0≤t<1

2 − t, 1≤t<2





0, t≥2
Midterm 1 Solutions 19

9. (13 points) Evaluate the following convolution:

y[n] = e−n u[n] ∗ (u[n] − u[n − 5])

Solution: Let x[n] = u[n] − u[n − 5] and h[n] = e−n u[n].

The convolution sum is given by,
∞
X
y[n] = e−k u[k](x[n − k])
k=−∞
∞
X
= e−k x[n − k]
k=0

Observe that
(
1, for all 0 ≤ n ≤ 4
x[n] =
0, otherwise

Thus, x[n − k] is also non-zero only in the range n − 4 ≤ k ≤ n. And the summation in
convolution is in the range 0 ≤ k < ∞. So we look at the overlap of these two ranges
of k to find the convolution sum.
Case 1: n < 0, i.e. no overlap between n − 4 ≤ k ≤ n and 0 ≤ k < ∞.
In this case,
∞
X
y[n] = e−k x[n − k] = 0
k=0

Case 2: n ≥ 0 but n − 4 < 0, i.e. 0 ≤ n < 4 . In this case, there is some overlap
between n − 4 ≤ k ≤ n and 0 ≤ k < ∞.

∞
X
y[n] = e−k x[n − k]
k=0
n
X ∞
X
−k
= e x[n − k] + e−k x[n − k]
k=0 k=n+1
Xn ∞
X
= e−k + e−k 0
k=0 k=n+1
−(n+1)
1−e
=
1 − e−1
20 Midterm 1 Solutions

Case 3: n ≥ 4 i.e. there is full overlap between n − 4 ≤ k ≤ n and 0 ≤ k < ∞.

∞
X
y[n] = e−k x[n − k]
k=0
Xn
= e−k
k=n−4
5
−n e −1
=e
e−1

Thus, the solution is:


0,
 for all n < 0
1−e−(n+1)
y[n] = 1−e−1
, for all 0 ≤ n < 4
 −n e5 −1

e e−1 , for all n ≥ 4
Midterm 1 Solutions 21

10. (6 points) Consider a discrete-time LTI system H which has the following input-
output relationship:
y[n] = 0.5x[n + 1] + x[n] + 0.5x[n − 1]

Draw the impulse response of the system, h[n]. Label the axes appropriately.

Solution: For impulse response, we substitute x[n] = δ[n], which gives us,
y[n] = 0.5 · δ[n + 1] + δ[n] + 0.5 · δ[n − 1]

h[n]

−3 −2 −1 1 2 3 n

−1

−2