WS 2023-24 Prof. Dr. B.

Lange SS II

Solutions for 4th Exercises in signals and systems II

Exercise 13: Determine the z-transform X(z) of the discrete signals (xn )n
with

a) xn = σn n2 b) xn = σn n an−k
c) xn = σn−k n an−k d) xn = σn n e−2n sin(ω0 n)

Hint: Use properties of the z-transform and z-transforms of selected signals

known from the lecture.
Solution: The following z-transforms are known from the lecture:
z
(an σn )n


❞ t |z| > |a|
z−a
z

(σn )n ❞ t |z| > 1
z−1

z sin(ωT )

σn sin(ωnT ) n
❞ t
2
|z| > 1
z − 2z cos(ωT ) + 1

a) The factor n2 indicates that differentiating twice in the z-domain is needed:

   
2 d d z d z
(n σn )n ❞ t X(z) = −z · −z · = −z ·
dz dz z − 1 dz (z − 1)2
2
   
(z − 1) − 2z(z − 1) (z − 1) − 2z
= −z · = −z ·
(z − 1)4 (z − 1)3
   
−z − 1 z−1+2 z 2z
= −z · 3
=z· 3
= 2
+
(z − 1) (z − 1) (z − 1) (z − 1)3

b) The factor a−k is simply a constant. The factor n indicates that differentiating
once in the z-domain is needed:
 
n−k −k d z
(n a σn )n ❞ t X(z) = a · (−z) ·
dz z − a
   
−k z−a−z −k az
= a · (−z) · =a ·
(z − a)2 (z − a)2

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WS 2023-24 Prof. Dr. B. Lange SS II

c) As the index difference n − k already appears twice, it is favorable to

formulate all of the signal in terms of n − k and the employ index-shifting

(n an−k σn−k )n ❞ t X(z) = Z((n − k) · an−k · σn−k + k · an−k · σn−k )

= z −k Z(n · an · σn + k · an · σn )
   
−k d z z
= z · (−z) · +k·
dz z − a z−a
 
az z
= z −k · 2
+k·
(z − a) z−a

d) The factor n indicates that differentiating once in the z-domain is needed.

e−2n can be replaced by an setting a = e−2 . The factor an then scales the
argument in the z-domain:
(n e−2n sin(ω0 n) σn )n ❞ t
= −z sin(ω0 ) ·
= −z sin(ω0 ) · e2 ·
d


X(z) − z · Z e−2n sin(ω0 n) σn
dz !
d
= −z · Z(sin(ω0 n) · σn )
dz z→ −2z
e
 
d z sin(ω0 )
= −z
dz z 2 − 2z cos(ω0 ) + 1 z→z e2
ze2
 
d
= −z · sin(ω0 )
dz z 2 e4 − 2ze2 cos(ω0 ) + 1
z 2 e4 − 2ze2 cos(ω0 ) + 1 · e2 − z e2 · 2ze4 − 2e2 cos(ω0 )




2
z 2 e4 − 2ze2 cos(ω0 ) + 1
z 2 e4 − 2z e2 cos(ω0 ) + 1 − 2z 2 e4 + 2z e2 cos(ω0 )

2
z 2 e4 − 2z e2 cos(ω0 ) + 1
1 − z 2 e4
= −z e2 sin(ω0 ) ·
2
z 2 e4 − 2ze2 cos(ω0 ) + 1
z e2 sin(ω0 ) · (z 2 e4 − 1)
=
2 .
z 2 e4 − 2ze2 cos(ω0 ) + 1

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WS 2023-24 Prof. Dr. B. Lange SS II

Exercise 14: Determine the discrete signals (xn )n that correspond to the
following z-transforms:

(z + 1)2
a) X(z) = b) (omitted)
z2 √  √ 
3 2 3 3
z +z · 2 −1 +z· 2 +1 3z 3 − 8z 2 + 5z
c) X(z) = d) X(z) =
z3 + 1 z 3 − z 2 + 3z + 5

Solution:
a) Simply split up the term and use index-shifting:

(z + 1)2 z 2 + 2z + 1 2 1
2
= 2
=1+ + 2 t ❞ (δn + 2 δn−1 + δn−2 )n
z z z z
b) (omitted)
c) Use partial fraction decomposition with simple but complex poles
√  √  √  √ 
z 3 + z 2 · 23 − 1 + z · 23 + 1 z 2 + z · 23 − 1 + 23 + 1
X(z) = =z· π
π

z3 + 1 (z + 1) · z − ej 3 · z − e−j 3
 
1 j 1 j 1
=z· − · π + · π
z + 1 2 z − ej 3 2 z − e−j 3
 
z 1 z 1 z
= + · π − · π
t ❞ (x ) with
n n
z + 1 2j z − ej 3 2j z − e−j 3
1 π
n 1 π
n
xn = (−1)n σn + · ej 3 σn − · e−j 3 σn
2j 2j
1 nπ 1 nπ


= σn · (−1)n + · ej 3 −


· e−j 3
2j 2j
n nπ

= σn · (−1) + sin( )
3

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WS 2023-24 Prof. Dr. B. Lange SS II

d) Use partial fraction decomposition with simple but complex poles, the
first one at z = −1:
3z 3 − 8z 2 + 5z 3z 2 − 8z + 5
X(z) = 3 =z·
z − z 2 + 3z + 5 (z + 1) · (z − (1 + 2j)) · (z − (1 − 2j))
1 1
+j −j
 
2 2 2
=z· + +
z + 1 z − (1 + 2j) z − (1 − 2j)
   
z 1 z 1 z
=2· + +j · + −j · t ❞ (x ) with
n n
z+1 2 z − (1 + 2j) 2 z − (1 − 2j)
   
1 1
xn = 2 σn · (−1)n + + j · (1 + 2j)n σn + − j · (1 − 2j)n σn
2 2
     
n 1 n 1 n
= σn · 2 · (−1) + + j · (1 + 2j) + − j · (1 − 2j)
2 2
 
n 1 n 1 n
= σn · 2 · (−1) + · (1 + 2j) · (1 + 2j) + · (1 − 2j) · (1 − 2j)
2 2
 
n 1 n+1 1 n+1
= σn · 2 · (−1) + · (1 + 2j) + · (1 − 2j)
2 2
√ 1 √ −jϕ n+1
 
n 1 
jϕ
 n+1
= σn · 2 · (−1) + · 5e + · 5e
2 2
1 √ n+1
 
n j·(n+1)·ϕ −j·(n+1)·ϕ


= σn · 2 · (−1) + · 5 · e +e
2
 √ n+1 
n


= σn · 2 · (−1) + 5 cos (n + 1) · ϕ

with ϕ = arctan(2) = 63.4◦.

Exercise 15: Using partial fractional decomposition, determine the discrete
signal (xn )n that corresponds to the z-transform
3z 2 − 4z
X(z) = .
z 2 − 3z + 2
by
a) inverse z-transforming X(z) directly and b) first inverse z-transforming
X(z)
z
and then using index-shifting to obtain (xn )n .
Solution: First we need the poles of the X(z):
3z 2 − 4z 3z − 4
X(z) = 2
=z· .
z − 3z + 2 (z − 2) · (z − 1)

a) Partial fraction decomposition yields

2z z
X(z) = + .
z−2 z−1

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WS 2023-24 Prof. Dr. B. Lange SS II

The inverse z-transform then results into

2z z
(xn )n with xn = 2 · 2n σn + σn = σn · 2n+1 + 1 .


X(z) = + t ❞
z−2 z−1
b) Partial fraction decomposition yields

X(z) 3z − 4 2 1
= = + .
z (z − 2) · (z − 1) z−2 z−1
The inverse z-transform then results into
X(z) z z
= 2 z −1 · + z −1 · t ❞ (x ) with
n n
z z−2 z−1
xn = 2 σn−1 2n−1 + σn−1 = σn−1 · (2n + 1) .

Using index-shifting gives the desired result:

X(z)
σn · 2n+1 + 1 .


X(z) = z · t ❞
z
In a) the inverse transform is somewhat more direct, in b) the partial fraction
decomposition is somewhat simpler.

Exercise 16: Consider the discrete, causal signal (xn )n with

 n
1
xn = (σn − σn−5 ) · .
2

a) Determine the z-transform by hand.

b) Determine the z-transform using MATLAB and its functions ztrans()
and heaviside().
Solution:
a) xn can be expanded:
 n  n  5  n−5
1 1 1 1
xn = · (σn − σn−5 ) = · σn − · · σn−5
2 2 2 2

With a = 21 , an σn ❞ t z
z−a
and index-shifting, the z-transform is determined
to be
 5  5 !
z 1 z z 1
X(z) = 1 − · z −5 · 1 = 1 · 1− .
z− 2
2 z− 2
z− 2
2z

b) Using the MATLAB function heaviside(n) to implement the unit step

(σn )n , the MATLAB code

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WS 2023-24 Prof. Dr. B. Lange SS II

function X = exercise_16()
% calculation of a z-transform

syms n z

X = ztrans((0.5)^n*(heaviside(n)-heaviside(n-5)));

end

yields
1 1
+ 64
1 64·(z− 21 ) 1
XM (z) = − 5
+
2z −
1 z
 2 
1 1 1 1
= · 1 +1 − 5
· 1 +1
2 z−2 64z z− 2
   
1 1 1
= 1 +1 · −
z−2 2 64z 5
1 + z − 12 1
 
1
= · · 1−
z − 21 2 (2z)5
z + 21 1
 
1
= · · 1−
z − 21 2 (2z)5

This is not what we determined in a)! The difference of both solutions is

 5 !
z + 21 1
 
z 1 1
X(z) − XM (z) = · 1− − · · 1−
z − 21 2z z − 12 2 (2z)5
 5 !  
1 1 1 1 1
= 1− · · z− ·z− ·
2z z − 12 2 2 2
 5 !  
1 1 1 1 1
= 1− · · ·z− ·
2z z − 12 2 2 2
 5 !  
1 1 1 1
= 1− · · z−
2z z − 12 2 2
 5 !
1 1
= 1− ·
2z 2

The difference results from the fact that the MATLAB function heaviside(n)
is defined to be 21 at n = 0 and not 1 like the sequence (σn )n we use in the
lecture! Please remember that if you use the symbolic toolbox in MATLAB!

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