The Inverse z-Transform

In science one tries to tell people, in such a way

as to be understood by everyone, something
that no one ever knew before.
But in poetry, it's the exact opposite.
Paul Dirac

Content and Figures are from Discrete-Time Signal Processing, 2e by Oppenheim, Shafer, and Buck, 1999-2000 Prentice Hall Inc.
 The Inverse Z-Transform
Formal inverse z-transform is based on a Cauchy integral
Less formal ways sufficient most of the time
Inspection method
Partial fraction expansion
Power series expansion
Inspection Method
Make use of known z-transform pairs such as
1
anun Z z a
1 az 1

Example: The inverse z-transform of

n
1 1 1
X z z xn un
1 2 2
1 z 1
2

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 2

 Inverse Z-Transform by Partial Fraction Expansion
Assume that a given z-transform can be expressed as
M

b z k
k

X z k 0
N

k
a
k 0
z k

Apply partial fractional expansion

M N N
Ak s
Cm
X z B z r

r 0
r
k 1,k i 1 dk z
1

m 1 1 d z
i
1
m

First term exist only if M>N

Br is obtained by long division
Second term represents all first order poles
Third term represents an order s pole
There will be a similar term for every high-order pole
Each term can be inverse transformed by inspection
Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 3
 Partial Fractional Expression

M N N
Ak s
Cm
X z B z r

r 0
r
k 1,k i 1 dk z 1

m 1 1 d z
i
1
m

Coefficients are given as

Ak 1 dk z 1 X z z d
k

Cm
1
s m! di s m
ds m

dw s m
1 diw s
X w 1

w di1

Easier to understand with examples

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 4

 Example: 2nd Order Z-Transform
1 1
X z ROC : z
1 1 1 1 2
1 z 1 z
4 2
Order of nominator is smaller than denominator (in terms of z -1)
No higher order pole
A1 A2
X z
1 1 1 1
1 z 1 z
4 2

1 1
1
A1 1 z X z 1
4 1

1 1 1
1
z
4
2 4

1 1
A 2 1 z 1 X z 2
2 1

1 1 1
1
z
2
4 2

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 5
 Example Continued
1 2 1
X z z
1 1 1 1 2
1 z 1 z
4 2

ROC extends to infinity

Indicates right sided sequence

n n
1 1
xn 2 un - un
2 4

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 6

 Example #2

X z
1 2z 1 z 2


1 z 1 2

z 1
3 1 1

1 z 1 z 2 1 z 1 1 z 1
2 2 2


Long division to obtain Bo
1 5z 1
X z 2
2
1 2 3 1 2
z z 1 z 2z
1
1


1 1
1 z 1 z 1
2


2 2
z 2 3z 1 2 A1 A2
X z 2
5z 1 1 1 1 1 z 1
1 z
2

1
A 1 1 z 1 X z
2 1
9
A 2 1 z 1 X z z 1
8
z
2

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 7

 Example #2 Continued
9 8
X z 2 z 1
1 1 1 z 1
1 z
2

ROC extends to infinity

Indicates right-sides sequence

n
1
xn 2n 9 un - 8un
2

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 8

 Inverse Z-Transform by Power Series Expansion
The z-transform is power series

X z xn z
n
n

In expanded form
X z x 2 z2 x 1 z1 x0 x1 z 1 x2 z 2

Z-transforms of this form can generally be inversed easily

Especially useful for finite-length series
Example
1
2


X z z 2 1 z 1 1 z 1 1 z 1
1 n 2
1

2 n 1
1 1 1
2
z z 1 z x n 1 n 0
2 2 1
n1
1 1 2
xn n 2 n 1 n n 1 0
n2
2 2
Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 9
 Z-Transform Properties: Linearity
Notation
xn Z X z ROC R x
Linearity
ax1 n bx2 n Z aX1 z bX2 z ROC R x1 R x2

Note that the ROC of combined sequence may be larger than

either ROC
This would happen if some pole/zero cancellation occurs
Example: n
xn a un - a un - N
n

Both sequences are right-sided

Both sequences have a pole z=a
Both have a ROC defined as |z|>|a|
In the combined sequence the pole at z=a cancels with a zero at z=a
The combined ROC is the entire z plane except z=0
We did make use of this property already, where?

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 10

 Z-Transform Properties: Time Shifting
xn no Z z no X z ROC R x

Here no is an integer
If positive the sequence is shifted right
If negative the sequence is shifted left
The ROC can change the new term may
Add or remove poles at z=0 or z=
Example

1 1
X z z
1
z
1 4
1 z 1
4

n-1
1
xn un - 1
4

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 11

 Z-Transform Properties: Multiplication by Exponential
zno xn Z X z / zo ROC zo R x

ROC is scaled by |zo|

All pole/zero locations are scaled
If zo is a positive real number: z-plane shrinks or expands
If zo is a complex number with unit magnitude it rotates
Example: We know the z-transform pair
1
un
Z
-1
ROC : z 1
1- z
Lets find the z-transform of
xn r n cos onun
2

1 jo n
re 1

un re jo un
2
n

1/2 1/2
X z z r
1 re jo z 1 1 re jo z 1

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 12

 Z-Transform Properties: Differentiation
dX z
nxn z
Z
ROC R x
dz
Example: We want the inverse z-transform of

X z log 1 az 1 z a

Lets differentiate to obtain rational expression

dX z az 2 dX z 1 1
1
z az
dz 1 az dz 1 az 1

Making use of z-transform properties and ROC

nxn a a un 1
n 1

an
xn 1 un 1
n 1

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 13

 Z-Transform Properties: Conjugation

x* n Z X* z* ROC R x

Example

X z xn z n

n



X z

xn z n
x n z n

n n

x n z x n z


X z n n
Z x n
n n

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 14

 Z-Transform Properties: Time Reversal
1
x n Z X1 / z ROC
Rx
ROC is inverted
Example:
xn anu n

Time reversed version of a un

n

1 - a-1z 1
X z z a1
1 az 1 - a-1z 1

Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 15

 Z-Transform Properties: Convolution
x1 n x2 n Z X1 z X2 z ROC : R x1 R x2
Convolution in time domain is multiplication in z-domain
Example:Lets calculate the convolution of
x1 n anun and x2 n un
1 1
X1 z ROC : z a X 2 z ROC : z 1
1 az 1 1 z 1
Multiplications of z-transforms is
1
Y z X1 z X2 z

1 az1 1 z 1
ROC: if |a|<1 ROC is |z|>1 if |a|>1 ROC is |z|>|a|
Partial fractional expansion of Y(z)
1 1 1
Y z 1
1
asume ROC : z 1
1 a 1 z 1 az
yn
1
1a
un an1un
Copyright (C) 2005 Gner Arslan 351M Digital Signal Processing 16