APSC246

– Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

Problem 1: For the signal x(t) illustrated below,

Sketch the signals.

(a) x(-t)
x(-t)

0.5
-12 -6

-24 -15 0 t

-1

(b) x(t+6)

x(t+6)

0.5

0 6 9 18 t
-1

(c) x(3t)

x(3t)

0.5
2
0 5 8 t
-1

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 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

(d) x(t/2)

x(t/2)

0.5
t
0 12 30 48
-1

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 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

Problem 2: Consider the system whose input-output relationship is given by the linear equation
𝑦(𝑡) = 𝑎𝑥(𝑡) + 𝑏
where x(t) and y(t) are input and output of the system, respectively, and a and b are constants. Is
this system linear? If not, under what condition that the system will become linear?

Solution:

x(t) M y(t)=M [x(t)] = a x(t) +b

First let’s check the additive property

𝑀[𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑥" (𝑡)] = 𝑎-𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑥" (𝑡). + 𝑏
= 𝑎𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑎𝑥" (𝑡) + 𝑏
But
𝑀[𝑥! (𝑡)] + 𝑀[𝑥" (𝑡)] = 𝑎𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑏 + 𝑎𝑥" (𝑡) + 𝑏
= 𝑎𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑎𝑥" (𝑡) + 2𝑏

Hence additive property is not satisfied. We can conclude that the system is not linear. For your
interest, let’s check the homogenous property.

𝑀[𝑐𝑥(𝑡)] = 𝑎[𝑐𝑥(𝑡)] + 𝑏 = 𝑎𝑐𝑥(𝑡) + 𝑏

𝑐𝑀[𝑥(𝑡)] = 𝑐 [𝑎𝑥(𝑡) + 𝑏] = 𝑎𝑐𝑥(𝑡) + 𝑏𝑐

Hence, the homogeneous property is not satisfied.

The system will become linear if 𝑏 = 0

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 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

Problem 3: A system is specified by its input-output relationship as

𝑥 " (𝑡)
𝑦(𝑡) =
𝑑𝑥 ⁄𝑑𝑡
Show that the system satisfies the homogeneous property but not the additive property

Solution:
# ! (%)
Let 𝑦 = 𝑀[𝑥(𝑡)] = '#⁄'%

" " "

-𝑐𝑥(𝑡). 𝑐 " -𝑥(𝑡). 𝑐-𝑥(𝑡).
[ ]
𝑀 𝑐𝑥(𝑡) = = =
𝑑 𝑑 𝑑𝑥(𝑡)
-𝑐𝑥(𝑡). 𝑐 -𝑥(𝑡).
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

"
𝑐-𝑥 (𝑡 ).
𝑐𝑀[𝑥(𝑡)] =
𝑑𝑥(𝑡)⁄𝑑𝑡

Hence homogeneous property is satisfied. Now let’s check additive property

"
-𝑥! (𝑡 ) + 𝑥" (𝑡).
𝑀[𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑥" (𝑡)] =
𝑑
-𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑥" (𝑡 ).
𝑑𝑡
𝑥!" (𝑡) + 2𝑥! (𝑡)𝑥" (𝑡) + 𝑥"" (𝑡)
=
𝑑𝑥! (𝑡) 𝑑𝑥" (𝑡)
+
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑥!" (𝑡) 𝑥"" (𝑡)

𝑀[𝑥! (𝑡)] + 𝑀[𝑥" (𝑡)] = +
𝑑𝑥! (𝑡) 𝑑𝑥" (𝑡)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

Clearly 𝑀[𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑥" (𝑡)] ≠ 𝑀[𝑥! (𝑡)] + 𝑀[𝑥" (𝑡)]. So additive property is not satisfied and the
system is not linear

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 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

Problem 4: A system is given by

𝑑
𝑦(𝑡) = 𝑥(𝑡 − 1)
𝑑𝑡
(a) Is the system linear? Justify your answer.
𝑑
𝑀 [𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑥" (𝑡)] = -𝑥 (𝑡 − 1) + 𝑥" (𝑡 − 1).
𝑑𝑡 !
𝑑 𝑑
= 𝑥! (𝑡 − 1) + 𝑥" (𝑡 − 1)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
= 𝑀[𝑥! (𝑡)] + 𝑀 [𝑥" (𝑡)]
Hence Additive property is OK.
𝑑 𝑑
𝑀[𝑐𝑥(𝑡)] = -𝑐𝑥(𝑡 − 1). = 𝑐 -𝑥(𝑡 − 1). = 𝑐𝑀[𝑥(𝑡)]
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Hence Homogeneous property is also OK. Therefore the system is linear.

(b) Is the system time invariant? Justify your answer.

𝑑
𝑀[𝑥(𝑡 − 𝑡) )] = -𝑥(𝑡 − 𝑡) − 1).
𝑑𝑡
𝑑
𝑦(𝑡 − 𝑡) ) = -𝑥(𝑡 − 𝑡) − 1).
𝑑𝑡
Since 𝑀[𝑥(𝑡 − 𝑡) )] = 𝑦(𝑡 − 𝑡) ), the system is time-invariant

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 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

Problem 5: A system is given by

𝑦(𝑡) = 𝑥(𝑎𝑡), 𝑎≠1
(1) Is this system causal?
(2) Is this system time-invariant?

Solution:
(1)
When 𝑎 > 1, the output 𝑦(𝑡) is obtained by time compression of the input by factor 𝑎. Hence,
the output can start before the input (see figure below), and the system is not causal.

𝑦(𝑡)

𝑥(𝑡)

𝑡! 𝑡" 𝑡" 𝑡
𝑡!
𝑎 𝑎

When 𝑎 < 1, the output 𝑦(𝑡) is obtained by time expansion of the input by factor 𝑎. Hence, the
output can start before the input (see figure below), and the system is not causal

𝑥(𝑡)
𝑦(𝑡)

𝑡! 𝑡! 𝑡" 𝑡" 𝑡
𝑎 𝑎

Or the student can simply provide an example. 𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑎 = 2.

@Dr. Yang Cao Page 6

 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

(2)
Consider an arbitrary input 𝑥! (𝑡). The corresponding output is 𝑦! (𝑡) = 𝑥! (𝑎𝑡). Output is
obtained by replacing 𝑡 in the input with 𝑎𝑡.
Consider a second input 𝑥" (𝑡) = 𝑥! (𝑡 − 𝑡) ). The corresponding output is
𝑡)
𝑦" (𝑡) = 𝑥" (𝑎𝑡) = 𝑥! (𝑎𝑡 − 𝑡) ) = 𝑥! =𝑎 >𝑡 − ?@
𝑎
Also note that
𝑦! (𝑡 − 𝑡) ) = 𝑥-𝑎(𝑡 − 𝑡) ). ≠ 𝑦" (𝑡)
Therefore, the system is not time-invariant.

@Dr. Yang Cao Page 7

 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

Problem 6: A system is given as

0 𝑡<0
𝑦(𝑡) = A
𝑥(𝑡) − 𝑥(𝑡 − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0
(a) Is the system linear? Justify your answer.
(b) Is the system time invariant? Justify your answer.

Solution:
(a)
0 𝑡<0
𝑥! (𝑡) → 𝑦! (𝑡) = A ( )
𝑥! 𝑡 − 𝑥! (𝑡 − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0
If the input is 𝑥" (𝑡) = 𝑐𝑥! (𝑡), the new output is
0 𝑡<0
𝑦" (𝑡) = A ( ) = 𝑐𝑦! (𝑡)
𝑐𝑥! 𝑡 − 𝑐𝑥! (𝑡 − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0
Hence homogeneous property is satisfied.
0 𝑡<0
𝑥! (𝑡) → 𝑦! (𝑡) = A ( )
𝑥! 𝑡 − 𝑥! (𝑡 − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0
0 𝑡<0
𝑥" (𝑡) → 𝑦" (𝑡) = A ( )
𝑥" 𝑡 − 𝑥" (𝑡 − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0
0 𝑡<0
𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑥" (𝑡) → 𝑦* (𝑡) = A (𝑡) (𝑡 (𝑡
𝑥! + 𝑥" (𝑡) − 𝑥! − 2) − 𝑥" − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0
= 𝑦! (𝑡) + 𝑦" (𝑡)
Hence additive property is satisfied.

The system is linear.

(b)
Consider an arbitrary input 𝑥! (𝑡). The corresponding output is
0 𝑡<0
𝑦! (𝑡) = A ( )
𝑥! 𝑡 − 𝑥! (𝑡 − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0
Consider a second input 𝑥" (𝑡) = 𝑥! (𝑡 − 𝑡) ). The corresponding output is
0 𝑡<0
𝑦" (𝑡) = A ( )
𝑥" 𝑡 − 𝑥" (𝑡 − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0
0 𝑡<0
=A (
𝑥! 𝑡 − 𝑡) ) − 𝑥! (𝑡 − 𝑡) − 2) 𝑡 ≥ 0

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 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

Note that
0 𝑡 − 𝑡) < 0
𝑦! (𝑡 − 𝑡) ) = A
𝑥! (𝑡 − 𝑡) ) − 𝑥! (𝑡 − 𝑡) − 2) 𝑡 − 𝑡) ≥ 0
Since 𝑦" (𝑡) ≠ 𝑦! (𝑡 − 𝑡) ), the system is not time-invariant.

Problem 7:
Given input signal 𝑥! (𝑡), the output of an LTI system is 𝑦! (𝑡). Plots of 𝑥! (𝑡) and 𝑦! (𝑡) are
shown below. Let 𝑦" (𝑡) be the new output corresponding to input of 𝑥" (𝑡). Determine and
sketch the responses of the system 𝑦" (𝑡). (refer to example 5 of lecture 4 for help)
1.5 2.5
x1(t) y1(t)
2
1
1.5

0.5 1

0.5
0
0

-0.5 -0.5
-2 0 2 4 6 -2 0 2 4 6

2.5
x2(t)
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4

Solution:
Input 𝑥" (𝑡) can be expressed using input 𝑥! (𝑡), i.e.
𝑥" (𝑡) = 𝑥! (𝑡) + 𝑥! (𝑡 + 1)
Since this is a LTI system, thus output 𝑦* (𝑡) is
𝑦* (𝑡) = 𝑦! (𝑡) + 𝑦! (𝑡 + 1)
Sketch of 𝑦" (𝑡) is shown below.

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 APSC246 – Solution to Assignment #1 2021W

2.5
y2(t)
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

@Dr. Yang Cao Page 10