Signals and Systems

CE/EE301
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• A system is memoryless if its output at a given time depends only on the input at the same time.
• Is the following system memoryless?

Memoryless, as the value of y[n] at any particular time n0

depends only on the value of x[n] at that time.

Memory, as the value of y[n] depends on

current and/or previous values of x[n].

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• A system is said to be invertible if distinct inputs lead to distinct outputs.

• An example of an invertible continuous-time system is

• where the inverse system is

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• Examples of noninvertible systems are

• where we cannot determine the sign of the input for a given output.

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• A system is causal if the output at any time depends only on values of the input
at the present time and in the past.

Causal

Non Causal

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• Are the following systems causal?

Non causal
causal

causal
Non causal

Non causal

Remark: All memoryless systems are causal, since the

output responds only to the current value of the input.
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• Is the following system causal?

In this system, the output at any time t equals the input at the same time multiplied by a number
that varies with time. Therefore, we can rewrite the equation as

• where g(t) is a time-varying function, namely g(t) = cos(t + 1). Thus, only the current value of
the input x(t) influences the current value of the output y(t), and we conclude that
This system is causal.

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A stable system is the one in which: small inputs lead to responses that do not diverge.

• If the input to a stable system is bounded then the output must also be bounded

• Are the following systems stable?

y[n]= 5 𝑥[𝑛 − 3]+3 Stable y[n]= 𝑛 𝑥[𝑛 − 3] Unstable

y(t)= 𝑒 𝑥(𝑡) Stable y(t)= 𝑒 𝑡 𝑥(𝑡) Unstable

y(t)= 𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝑥 𝑡 ) Stable y(t)= 𝑡 𝑥 𝑡 Unstable

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• A system is time-invariant if the behavior and characteristics of the system are fixed over time.

• A system is time invariant if a time shift in the input signal results in an identical time shift in
the output signal.

• In discrete-time, let us consider y(n) is the output when the input is x(n), a time-invariant
system will have y (n- n0) as the output when x (n- n0) is the input.

• In continuous time, let us consider y(t) is the output when the input is x(t), a time-invariant
system will have y (t- t0) as the output when x (t – t0) is the input.

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• Are the following systems time-invariant?

𝑦 𝑛 = 5𝑥 𝑛 − 3 + 2 𝑦 𝑡 = 𝑥(2𝑡)

𝑦 𝑡 = 𝑒 𝑥(𝑡) 𝑦 𝑛 = 𝑛 𝑥[𝑛]

𝑦 𝑡 = sin(𝑥 𝑡 ) 𝑦 𝑡 = 𝑥(sin 𝑡 )

Time-varying Systems
Time-Invariant (Not Time-Invariant)
Systems
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• A system is linear if an input consists of weighted sum of several signals is inserted, then its
output is the weighted sum of the responses of the system to each of the input signals.

If the input to a system is x(t) and the output is y(t) then

𝑥1 𝑡 → 𝑦1 𝑡
𝑥2 𝑡 → 𝑦2 𝑡
A system is linear if the following is satisfied

𝑎𝑥1 𝑡 + 𝑏𝑥2 𝑡 → 𝑎𝑦1 𝑡 + 𝑏𝑦2 𝑡

• Remark: a system can be linear without being time invariant, and it can be time invariant
without being linear.

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• Are the following systems Linear?

y[n]= 𝑥[𝑛 − 3] + 𝑥[𝑛 + 2]

y[n]= 2𝑥[𝑛 − 3]+3
y(t)= 𝑒 𝑥(𝑡)
y(t)= 𝑒 𝑡 𝑥(𝑡 + 2)
y(t)= [𝑥 𝑡 ]2
y(t)= 𝑡𝑥 𝑡 2
y(t)= 𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝑥 𝑡 )
Linear
Systems Non-Linear
Systems

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