17

1.2.3

The DiscreteTime Unit Impulse and Unit Step Sequences

Unit impulse sequence (or unit impulse or unit sample)

!
1,
n=0
[n] =
0,
n != 0
(also referred to as Kronecker delta function)
[n]

Unit step sequence (unit step)

u[n] =

1,
0,

n0
n<0

u[n]

Lampe, Schober: Signals and Communications

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!

Relation between [n] and u[n]

First order difference
[n] = u[n] u[n 1]
Running sum
u[n] =

n
"

[m]

m=

Sampling property of unit impulse

x[n][n n0] = x[n0][n n0]

1.2.4

The ContinuousTime Unit Impulse and Unit Step

Functions

Unit step function (unit step)

u(t) =

1,
0,

t>0
t<0

u(t)
1
0

Note: discontinuity at t = 0
!

Unit impulse function (unit impulse, Dirac delta impulse)

!
?,
t=0
(t) =
0,
t != 0

Lampe, Schober: Signals and Communications

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Remark:
We use the short-hand notation:
dx(t)
= x(t)

dt
!

Relation between (t) and u(t)

First order derivative
(t) = u(t)

Running integral
u(t) =

#t

( ) d

Formal difficulty: u(t) is not differentiable in the conventional sense

because of its discontinuity at t = 0.
!

Some more thoughts on (t)

Consider functions u (t) and (t) instead of u(t) and (t):
(t)

u (t)
1

where

(t) = u (t)
#t
u (t) =
( ) d

Lampe, Schober: Signals and Communications

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Limit 0
u(t) = lim u (t)
0

(t) :
3 (t)
1
3

2 (t)
1
2

1 (t)

1
1

3 2

Observe: Area under (t) always 1

(t) is an infinitesimally narrow impulse with area 1.
(t) = lim (t)
0
#
( ) d = 1

Representation
(t t0 )

(t)

a(t)
a

Lampe, Schober: Signals and Communications

t0

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Properties
Sampling property (x(t) continuous at t = t0)
#

x( )( t0) d = x(t0)

x(t)(t t0) = x(t0)(t t0)

Linearity
#

(a( ) + b( ))x( ) d =

#
a( )x( ) d + b( )x( ) d

= (a + b)x(0)
a(t) + b(t) = (a + b)(t)

Time scaling (a IR)

#

(a )x( ) d =

1
1
()x(/a) d = x(0)
|a|
|a|

(at) =

Lampe, Schober: Signals and Communications

1
(t)
|a|

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Differentiation and derivative

#

#
$
)x( ) d = (t)x(t)$$
( )x(
) d = x(0)

)x( ) d = x(0)
(

= (t)
t(t)
Remark:
More formal discussion of the unit impulse (t) in text books on
generalized functions or distributions.

Lampe, Schober: Signals and Communications