ECE1004 - Signals and Systems

Practice Questions for Convolution

1. Show that δ[n − 2] ∗ x[n] = x[n − 2] for

x[n] = 2δ[n + 1] + δ[n] + δ[n − 1].

Answer: Given x[n] = 2δ[n + 1] + δ[n] + δ[n − 1],

L.H.S. → δ[n − 2] ∗ x[n] = δ[n − 2] ∗ {2δ[n + 1] + δ[n] + δ[n − 1]}

= 2δ[n − 2] ∗ δ[n + 1] + δ[n − 2] ∗ δ[n] + δ[n − 2] ∗ δ[n − 1]
= 2δ[n − 1] + δ[n − 2] + δ[n − 3]
= x[n − 2] → R.H.S.

2. The output of an LTI system is y(t) = δ(t − 3) + δ(−t − 3) when the input is x(t) = δ(t). Sketch
the output of the same LTI system when the input signal x(t) is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Signal x(t) in Question 2

Answer: Given the output of an LTI system is y(t) = δ(t − 3) + δ(−t − 3) when the input is
x(t) = δ(t). This according to the definition of impulse response h(t) of the system means

h(t) = δ(t − 3) + δ(−t − 3).

The output of the same LTI system, when the input signal is x(t), is given by

y(t) = x(t) ∗ h(t)

= x(t) ∗ {δ(t − 3) + δ(−t − 3)}
= x(t − 3) + x(−t − 3)}

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 The output signal y(t) is as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Answer for Question 2

3. For each of the following pairs of x[n] and h[n], evaluate and sketch the waveform y[n] =
x[n] ∗ h[n] using the graphical method of convolution.

1, n = 0, 1


(a) x[n] = 


0, otherwise


n + 1, n = 0, 1


h[n] = 


0,
 otherwise

n, n = 1, 2, 3


(b) x[n] = 


0, otherwise


h[n] = u[n + 2] − u[n − 2]

Answer to part (a): The output signal y[n] is as shown in Figure 3. The step-by-step procedure
is depicted in Figure 5.

Figure 3: Answer for Question 3 (a)

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 Answer to part (b): The output signal y[n] is as shown in Figure 4. The step-by-step procedure
is depicted in Figure 6 and Figure 7.

Figure 4: Answer for Question 3 (b)

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Figure 5: Step-by-step Answer for Question 3 (a). Note that Length{x[n]} = 2, Length{h[n]} = 2,
and Length{y[n]} = Length{x[n]} + Length{h[n]} − 1 = 3.

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Figure 6: Step-by-step Answer for Question 3 (b)

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Figure 7: Step-by-step Answer for Question 3 (b) - continued. Note that Length{x[n]} = 3,
Length{h[n]} = 4, and Length{y[n]} = Length{x[n]} + Length{h[n]} − 1 = 6.