1

Inverse Z Transform
Since transfer functions and common signals have transforms which are rational, it is logical to apply
the same technique developed for Laplace transform. One would have a table of basic transform
pairs and use partial fraction expansion to decompose a rational function as a sum of entries from
the table. There is only one minor problem illustrated by the following example. Let
2z
X (z) = z22,z 1 = (z , 1)( z + 1)
Using partial fraction expansion one would have
X (z ) = A1 z ,1 1 + A2 z +1 1
One can compute the coecients A1 ; A2 , but the rational functions 1=(z , 1) and 1=(z + 1) do not
appear as entries in the table of basic transforms.
The basic way around this minor problem will be to perform the partial fraction on the function
X (z)=z. Thus
X (z ) = 2 1 1
z (z , 1)(z + 1) = B1 z , 1 + B2 z + 1
Once the partial fraction has been determined and the coecients computed, one can multiply
both sides by z . Hence
X (z ) = z Xz(z ) = B1 z ,z 1 + B2 z +z 1
The two entries are now in the table of basic transform pairs and one can proceed to the inversion
by inspection.
Prepared by Dr. Jorge L. Aravena. Last Modied on October 15, 1999 2

Inversion of rational functions with only simple poles

This case is based on the following transform pair
bk q[k] ! z ,z b
Given
X (z ) = (z , r )(z ,Nr(z)): : : (z , r ) ; ri 6= rj ; i 6= j
1 2 n
 Form
X (z ) = N (z )
z z (z , r1)(z , r2 ) : : : (z , rn)
 Write the partial fraction expansion for X (z)=z as
X (z ) = A0 + A 1 + : : : + A 1
z z 1z , r nz , r
1 n
 Compute the residues A0 ; A1 ; : : : ; An using any of the techniques seen in Laplace.
 Form the modied partial fraction expansion for X (z)
X (z) = z Xz(z) = A0 + A1 z ,z r + : : : + An z ,z r
1 n
 Perform the inversion by determining the transform of each partial fraction
x[k] = A0 [k] + A , 1(r1 )k q[k] + : : : + An (rn )k q[k]
Prepared by Dr. Jorge L. Aravena. Last Modied on October 15, 1999 3

An alternative technique for inversion

The method just described expands X (z )=z and then multiplies by z in order to get terms of the
form z=(z , b), that are directly in the basic table. The reason being that the ordinary expansion
of X (z ) will create terms of the form 1=z , b which are not in the table. The alternative method
is based on the identity
X1 (z ) = z ,1 b = z,1 z ,z b
One can nd the inverse transform for X1 (z ) with the help of the shifting property of the transform.
Thus  
x1[k] = Z ,1 z ,1 b = bk,1 q[k , 1]
Consider again the example
X (z) = z22,z 1 = (z , 1)(
2z
z + 1)
Using conventional partial fraction expansion one would have
X (z ) = A1 z ,1 1 + A2 z +1 1
Since, now, one has the inverse of every term, one can write directly
x[k] = A1(1)k,1 q[k , 1] + A2(,1)k,1 q[k , 1] = (A1 + A2 (,1)k,1 )q[k , 1]
Prepared by Dr. Jorge L. Aravena. Last Modied on October 15, 1999 4

Inversion of rational functions with multiple poles at the origin

This is the next simplest case. It uses the same pair as before plus the pair
[k , p] ! z ,p
which is derived using the shifting property of the transform.
Consider a rational function
X (z) = z m (z , r )(zN,(zr) ) : : : (z , r ) ; ri 6= rj ; i 6= j
1 2 n
i.e., it has n simple poles and a pole of multiplicity m at the origin.
The inversion proceeds in the same manner as before
 Form
X (z ) = N (z )
z z (z , r )(z , r ) : : : (z , r )
m +1 1 2 n
 Write the partial fraction expansion for X (z)=z. Here is a little dierent.Because of the
multiple pole one has
X (z) = A00 + A01 + : : : A0m + A 1 + : : : + A 1
z z z2 zm+1 1 z , r1 nz , r
n
 Compute the residues A00 ; A01 ; : : : ; A0m ; A1 ; : : : ; An using any of the techniques seen in Laplace.
 Form the modied partial fraction expansion for X (z)
X (z) = z Xz(z ) = A00 + A0z,1 + : : : A0m z,m + A1 z ,z r + : : : + An z ,z r
1 n

 Since the terms of the form z,p have an immediate transform, the inversion of the previous
expression is also immediate.
Prepared by Dr. Jorge L. Aravena. Last Modied on October 15, 1999 5

Inversion of rational functions with double poles

This case is based on the following transform pair
kbk q[k] ! (z ,bzb)2
One must keep present that each pole of multiplicity m creates m partial fractions. For example
2
X (z) = (z , 0z:5)+2 (1z , 2)
 Form
X (z ) = z2 + 1
z z(z , 0:5)2 (z , 2)
 Perform the partial fraction for X (z)=z. Use the necessary two terms for the double pole
X (z ) = A 0 + A 1 + A 1 1
z z 11 z , 0:5 12 (z , 0:5)2 + A2 z , 2

 Determine the coecients using any of the available techniques

 Determine the modied expansion for X (z)
X (z) = z Xz(z) = A0 + A11 z ,z0:5 + A12 (z ,z0:5)2 + A2 z ,z 2

One can see that every term, except the third appear directly in the basic list of transform
pairs. The table entry that is closest to this third term is bz=(z , b)2 , for b = 0:5. Rewriting
the term as
A12 (z ,z0:5)2 = A0:125 (z ,0:50z:5)2
one ts it to the entry.
 Get from the basic table the inverses of each term
In this case the complete inverse is

x[k] = A0 [k] + A11 (0:5)k q[k] + A0:125 k(0:5)k q[k] + (2)k q[k]
For added eciency, one can force the terms in basic table as entries in the partial fraction
expansion. Thus, for a double pole (z , b)2 , one would use the terms
1 ; b :
z , b (z , b)2
In the example, one could write the expansion as
X (z ) = B0 + B 1 + B 0:5 + B 1
z z 11 z , 0:5 12 (z , 0:5)2 2z , 2

The procedure is just cosmetic and one should get A0 = B0 ; B11 = A11 ; B12 = A12 =(0:5); B2 =
A2 .
Prepared by Dr. Jorge L. Aravena. Last Modied on October 15, 1999 6

An Extension for triple poles

The previous techniques can be easily extended to triple poles and poles of higher multiplicity. For
a triple pole (z , b)3 , one would use the following three partial fractions
1 b b(z + b)
z , b ; (z , b)2 ; (z , b)3
After the multiplication by z , one will get terms that appear directly in the basic table.
Prepared by Dr. Jorge L. Aravena. Last Modied on October 15, 1999 7

Inversion of rational functions with complex conjugate poles. Use of quadratic

terms expansion
The inversion of rational functions with complex conjugate poles can be accomplished with the
previous techniques if one is willing to use complex algebra. As in the case of Laplace transform,
one can avoid using complex numbers at the expense of using quadratic factors in the partial
fraction expansion. In this case, one looks at the following two pairs:
bk cos k!0Tq[k] ! z 2 ,z ((2z b,cos
b cos !0 T )
!0 T )z + b2
bk sin k!0 Tq[k] ! z2 , (2zbb cos
sin !0 T )
!0 T )z + b2
Inverting a rational function with complex conjugate poles requires the following steps
 from the quadratic expression of the complex conjugate poles determine the values of b and
!0 T .
 determine the quadratic factors to be used in the expansion
 determine the proper partial fraction expansion
 determine the inverse of every term in the partial fraction
Consider for example the rational function
X (z) = z2 +z +2z3+ 9
The quadratic term, z 2 + 2z + 9, has negative discriminant.
 from the quadratic expression of the complex conjugate poles determine the values of b and
!0 T
z 2 + 2z + 9 = z 2 , (2b cos !0 T )z + b2
By identication of coecients, one concludes
b2 = 9 (coes of z 0 ),
,(2b cos !0T )=2 (coes of z)
NOTE: One also needs the term b sin !0 T which can be computed from
b2 cos2 !0 T + b2 sin2 !0 T = b2
and using the positive sign as default option. For the example one has
p
b = 3; b cos !0 T = ,1; b sin !0T = 8
p
Since cos !0 T = ,1 is negative and sin !0 T = 8 is positive, !0 T is an angle in the second
quadrant. One can write
 b sin ! T  p
!0T = tan b cos !0 T =  , tan,1 8
,1
0
Prepared by Dr. Jorge L. Aravena. Last Modied on October 15, 1999 8

 determine the quadratic factors to be used

In the case of the example, one has

F1 (z ) = z2 ,z((2z b,cos
b cos !0T ) = z(z + 1)
!0 T )z + b2 z2 + 2z + 9
p
zb ! T
F2 (z) = z2 , (2b cos ! T )z + b2 = z2 + 28z + 9
sin 0 )
0
 determine the proper partial fraction expansion
The most straightforward way is to consider the expansion of X (z )=z , using partial fractions
F1 (z )=z and F2 (z)=z. In this case, this task can be divided in the following activities
{ write the partial fraction expansion for X (z)=z.
For case of the example one has
X (z ) = z+3 A0 F1 (z ) F (z )
z z(z2 + 2z + 9) = z + A1 z + A2 z
p
z +3 A0 z +1 8
z(z2 + 2z + 9) = z + A1 z2 + 2z + 9 + A2 z2 + 2z + 9
{ determine the coecients in the partial fraction expansion
For this task one can use any of the techniques available. For example, using identica-
tion of coecients one has
z+3 = A0 (z2 + 2z + 9) + A1 z(z + 1) + A2z
z(z2 + 2z + 9) z 2 + 2z + 9
Hence
0 = A0 + A1
1 = 2A0 + A1 + A2
3 = 9A0
{ write the expansion for X (z)
p
X (z ) = z Xz(z ) = z2 +z +2z3+ 9 = A0 + A1 z2z+
(z + 1) + A
2z + 9 2 2
8z
z + 2z + 9
 determine the inverse of every term in the partial fraction
Every entry in the partial fraction expansion corresponds directly to an entry in the basic
table of transform pairs. Hence
x[k] = A0 [k] + A1(3)k cos k!0 Tq[k] + A2(3)k sin k!0 Tq[k]
p
with !0 T =  , tan,1 8
Prepared by Dr. Jorge L. Aravena. Last Modied on October 15, 1999 9

Examples
Example 3.1 Consider the rational function
X (z) = zz2 ++59
The denominator has roots x1;2 = j 3. Hence one can use the quadractic factors.

1. determine b; b cos !0 T; b sin !0 T; !0 T

denominator = z2 + 9
= must be out in the form z 2 , (2b cos !0 T )z + b2
b cos !0 T = 0
b2 = 9
b sin !0 T = 3
!0 T = =2
2. determine the quadratic factors.
z , b cos !0 T z
z + (2b cos !0 T )z + b2 =
2 z2 + 9
b sin !0T 3
z + (2b cos !0 T )z + b2 =
2 z2 + 9
3. write the partial fraction for X (z )=z
X (z ) = z+5
z z(z2 + 9)
= Az0 + A1 z 2 z+ 9 + A2 z 2 3+ 9

4. determine te coecients of the expansion

A0 = 5=9
A1 = 1
A2 = 5=3
5. write the expansion fo X (z )
2
X (z) = A0 + A1 z 2z+ 9 + A2 z 23+z 9
6. read the inverses of each term from the table
x[k] = A0[k] + A1 3k cos k=2q[k] + A2 3k sin k=2q[k]