MATH 267 Homework Assignment 11 Solutions

1. The output y[n] generated by a system for the input x[n] is

∞
X
y[n] = g[n − 3m] x[m]
m=−∞

where
0 if n < 0
(
g[n] = u[n] − u[n − 6] = 1 if 0 ≤ n < 6
0 if 6 ≤ n
(a) Determine y[n] when x[n] = δ[n].
(b) Determine y[n] when x[n] = δ[n − 1].
(c) Is the system LTI? Explain.
(d) Determine y[n] when x[n] = u[n], by directly evaluating the convolution sum for y[n].
Solution. (a) When x[n] = δ[n], the output is
∞
X
y[n] = g[n − 3m] δ[m] = g[n] = u[n] − u[n − 6]
m=−∞

(b) When x[n] = δ[n − 1], the output is

∞
X
y[n] = g[n − 3m] δ[m − 1] = g[n − 3] = u[n − 3] − u[n − 9]
m=−∞

(c) No, the system is not LTI. If the system was LTI, the answer to part (b) would have to be the answer
to part (a) with a time shift of 1, rather than 3.
(d) When x[n] = u[n], the output is
∞
X ∞
X
y[n] = g[n − 3m] u[m] = g[n − 3m]
m=−∞ m=0

Since
0 if n − 3m < 0 0 if 3m ≤ n − 6
( (
g[n − 3m] = 1 if 0 ≤ n − 3m < 6 = 1 if n − 6 < 3m ≤ n
0 if n − 3m ≥ 6 0 if 3m > n
and m ≥ 0 in the sum for y[n],
i) if n < 0, then 3m > n for all m ≥ 0, and therefore g[n − 3m] = 0 for all m ≥ 0, thus

y[n] = 0

ii) if 0 ≤ n < 3 i.e. if n = 0, 1 or 2, then the only value of m ≥ 0 that satisfies n − 6 < 3m ≤ n is m = 0;
therefore there is only one nonzero term in the sum for y[n], the term for m = 0:

y[n] = 1

iii) if n ≥ 3, then precisely two values of m ≥ 0 satisfy n − 6 < 3m ≤ n (only two integer values of m
can ever satisfy n − 6 < 3m ≤ n, since the interval has length 6 and the lower endpoint n − 6 is not
included in the interval), therefore there are precisely two nonzero terms in the sum for y[n]:

y[n] = 1 + 1 = 2

1
 All together we have
0 if n<0


1 if n=0


y[n] = 1 if n=1
1 if n=2



2 if n≥3

2. Determine the z-transforms for each of the following signals. Sketch the pole–zero plot and indicate the
region of convergence. If the unit circle, |z| = 1, is in the ROC, find the signal’s Fourier Transform as
well.
(a) (−3)n u[n − 2]

|n|
(b) 21
(c) 4n cos 2π π


6 n + 4 u[−n − 1]
(a) The z-transform of x[n] = (−3)n u[n − 2] is
∞
X ∞
X ∞
X
X(z) = x[n] z −n = (−3)n u[n − 2] z −n = (−3)n z −n
n=−∞ n=−∞ n=2
X∞ ∞
X ∞
X
= (−3z −1 )n = (−3z −1 )2 (−3z −1 )n−2 = (−3z −1 )2 (−3z −1 )k
n=2 n=2 k=0
−1 2 1 9
= (−3z ) 1+3z −1 = z(z+3)

provided  − 3z −1 | < 1. So the ROC (region of convergence) is |z| > 3 . There are poles at z = 0, −3


and no zeroes . The unit circle |z| = 1 is not in the ROC, so the discrete-time Fourier transform x̂(ω)
does not exist.
Im z

✕ ✕ Re z

1 |n|


(b) The z-transform of x[n] = 2 is

∞ ∞ −1 ∞ ∞
1 |n| −n 1 n −n 1 −n −n 1 −1 n
X
X
X
X
X
1

m
X(z) = 2 z = 2 z + 2 z = 2z + 2z
n=−∞ n=0 n=−∞ n=0 m=1

P∞
We made the substitution in m = −n in the second series. Continuing, we note that m=1 rm =
P∞ m−1
P ∞ k 1
 1 −1 
r m=1 r = r k=0 r = r 1−r provided |r| < 1, so both series for X(z) converge provided  2 z  <
1 
1 and 2 z < 1 are both true, in which case
 

z(z − 2) − z z − 12 − 23 z


1 1 1 z z
X(z) = 1 −1 + 2z = − = =
1 − 21 z 1
z − 21 z − 2 z − 12 z − 2





1− 2z z− 2
z−2

2
provided  12 z −1  < 1 and  21 z  < 1, so the ROC is 1
< |z| < 2 . There are poles at z = 12 , 2 and a
   
2
zero at z = 0 . Because |z| = 1 is in the region of convergence the discrete-time Fourier transform is
eiω
ĥ(ω) = H(eiω ) = − 23 iω 1
iω
.
e − 2 e −2
Im z

✕ ✕ Re z

2π
(c) Since u[−n − 1] is nonzero only if −n − 1 ≥ 0 i.e. if n ≤ −1, the z-transform of x[n] = 4 n cos 6 n+
π


4 u[−n − 1]is

∞
X −1
X ∞
X
x[n]z −n = 4n cos 2π π
z −n = 4−m cos − 2π π
zm



X(z) = 6 n + 4 6 m + 4
n=−∞ n=−∞ m=1
∞ ∞
X
m X
z m
2π 1 1
ei 3 m−i 4 + e−i 3 m+i 4
π π π π
π




= cos 6 m − 4 4 z = 2 4
m=1 m=1
∞ ∞ 1 −i π 1 iπ
4 −i 3
π z π z
4 ei 3
2e 2e e
1 −i π
X
m X
m
1 iπ
e−i 3 z4 4 4
π π
= 2e
4 ei 3 z4 + 2e
4 = +
1 − ei 3 z4 1 − e−i 3 z4
π π

m=1 m=1

z ei 12 1 − e−i 3 z4 + e−i 12 1 − ei 3 z4 z ei 12 + e−i 12 − z4 ei 4 + e−i 4

π π
π π
π π
π π

= =
1 − ei 3 z4 1 − e−i 3 z4 1 − ei 3 z4 1 − e−i 3 z4
π
π
π
π

8 8
π
z cos 12 − z4 cos π4
=
4 1 − ei 3 4 1 − e−i 3 z4
π z
π

provided e±i 3 z4  < 1. That is, provided |z| < 4 . There are poles at e±i 3
 π  π z
4 = 1 or equivalently, at
cos(π/12)
z = 4e±i 3 . There are zeroes at z = 0 and z = 4
π
. The unit circle |z| = 1 is in the region
cos(π/4)
of convergence, so the discrete-time Fourier transform is

1 iω cos 12π
− 14 eiω cos π4
ĥ(ω) = H(eiω ) = e
1 − 4 e 3 eiω 1 − 41 e−i 3 eiω
1 i π
π

4

Im z

Re z

3
3. Consider an LTI system for which

1 1
y[n] + 4 y[n − 1] − 8 y[n − 2] = x[n]

(a) Use X(z) and Y (z) to denote the z–transforms of x[n] and y[n], respectively. Express the z-transform
of y[n] + 41 y[n − 1] − 18 y[n − 2] in terms of Y (z).
Y (z)
(b) Find the system function H(z) = X(z) for this system.
(c) Plot the poles and zeroes of H(z) and indicate the region of convergence, assuming that the system
is causal.
(d) Using z–transforms, determine y[n] if

1 n


x[n] = 2 u[n]

Solution. (a) Use the Time Shifting property of the z-transform (in the table on p. 12 of the notes
“Discrete-Time Linear, Time Invariant Systems and z-Transforms”)

the z-transform of y[n − 1] is z −1 Y (z)

the z-transform of y[n − 2] is z −2 Y (z)

so by linearity the z-transform of y[n] + 41 y[n − 1] − 18 y[n − 2] is

Y (z) + 41 z −1 Y (z) − 81 z −2 Y (z)

(b) By part (a)

Y (z) + 41 z −1 Y (z) − 81 z −2 Y (z) = X(z)

Y (z) 1 1 z2
=⇒ H(z) = = 1 1 = 1 1

=
z + 2 z − 41
1




X(z) −1
1 + 4z − 8z −2 1 + 2z −1 1 − 4z −1

(c) The poles are at z = 14 , − 12 and there is one zero at z = 0. Since the system is causal and the system
function is H(z) is rational, the ROC is the exterior of a circle and it is bounded on the inside by the
pole with largest magnitude. yTherefore the ROC is |z| > 21 .
Im z

✕ ✕ Re z

1 n

1
(d) Since the z-transform of x[n] = 2 u[n] is X(z) = , we get
1 − 21 z −1

1
Y (z) = 1 −1
1 − 41 z −1 1 − 21 z −1




1+ 2z

4
Expanding in partial fractions

1 A B C

= 1 −1 + 1 −1 +
1 −1 1 −1 1 −1
1 − 21 z −1



1+ 2z 1− 4z 1− 2z 1+ 2z 1− 4z

and putting the right-hand side over a common denominator and equating numerators gives

1 = A 1 − 14 z −1 1 − 21 z −1 + B 1 + 21 z −1 1 − 21 z −1 + C 1 + 21 z −1 1 − 14 z −1

Substituting 12 z −1 = −1 gives
1 = A( 32 )(2) =⇒ A = 1
3

Substituting 14 z −1 = 1 gives
1 = B(3)(−1) =⇒ B = − 31

Substituting 12 z −1 = 1 gives
1 = C(2)( 21 ) =⇒ C = 1

Hence
1 1
3 3 1 1 1 n

1 1 n

1 n


Y (z) = 1 −1 − 1 −1 + 1 −1 =⇒ y[n] = 3 − 2 u[n] − 3 4 u[n] + 2 u[n]
1+ 2z 1− 4z 1− 2z