Convolution Integral

4/18/23, 00:14
The Convolution Integral, Printable

This document is a compilation of all of the pages regarding the convolution integral in a form that
is useful for printing.
Motivation
The Convolution Integral
Demo
A Systems Approach
Evaluation of the Convolution Integral
Convolution and Laplace
Motivation The Convolution Integral Convolution Demo A Systems Perspective

Evaluation of Convolution Integral Laplace Printable
Contents
Modeling a physical system
Things to try
Some minor points (you can probably skip this)
Input and output data must have equal averages
The area of the weighting function must equal 1
Initial Transient
Modeling a physical system

There is some fairly complicated math involved in convolution, so before starting
on the math, let's start with an example to motivate the procedure (if you want to dig
right into the math, you can go to the next page).
The problem we will consider is that of the interior temperature of an unheated

building (this is actual data taken in February in southeastern Pennsylvania). The
graph below shows the temperature external to the building (blue) and internal to the
building (green). Note: a slight adjustment was made to the data for the purposes of this
demonstration (see below for explanation if you are interested).
External and internal temperatures
15
10
5
Temp ( o C)
https://lpsa.swarthmore.edu/Convolution/ConvolvePrint.html Page 1 of 26
4/18/23, 00:14
Temp (
-5
-10 External Temp

Internal Temp
-15
0 5 10 15 20
t (days)

As you might expect the temperature inside varies significantly less that the
temperature outside, and the internal temperature lags the external temperature
somewhat. It seems reasonable to assume that the current internal temperature is
some weighted average of past temperatures. Consider a weighting function that
we'll call h(t). An example is shown below. We'll consider two possible weighting
functions, an exponential decay, and a plain moving average. The exponential
weighting function drops off rapidly, while the moving average weights all points
equally. You can select either one:
Impulse Response, h(t) vs t
5
3
h(t)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
t (days)
Impulse Response Type (valid for t≥0)

1
Exponential (weighted), h(t) = τ e−t/τ
1
Moving Average, h(t) = τ (t < τ)
You can change the "width" of the function by adjusting τ (time constant for
exponential, or window width for moving average).
τ
0.8 (days) 0.2 8
Note: the height changes as well as the width because the area of the weighting function must equal 1
(see below for explanation if you are interested).
f(λ) = Ext T, and h(t-λ) vs λ

15
10
5
C)
4/18/23, 00:14
f(λ) (0C)
0
-5
-10
-15
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
λ (days)
The blue function to the right is the external temperature. The red (transparent)
function indicates how the weighting function contributes at a time, "t". The
weighting function is shown for reference only, the actual height is shown on the
previous graph. You can also click in any of the bottom three graphs to set the value
of "t".
t
0 (days) 0 24
As an example try setting the time "t" to 8 days. The graph now shows the
weighting function, reversed, and shifted over to t=8 seconds. The product is shown
in magenta in the graph below that one (labelled "f(λ)·h(t-λ) vs λ"). The integral of
the magenta line is the weighted average. You can see that, for exponential
weighting, the points in the recent past have are accentuated while those further in
the past are attenuated. Thus the points from the recent past contribute more to the
integral.
f(λ)·h(t-λ) vs λ
20
10
f(λ·h(t-λ)
-10
-20
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
t (days)
External and Internal Temperature vs t

15
10
Temps (0C)
-5
-10
-15
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
4/18/23, 00:14
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Ext T Int T Calc T t t (days)
The very bottom graph shows the external temperature (blue), the calculated
internal temperature (i.e., the weighted average of the external temperature, and is
shown in purple), and the measured internal temperature is shown in green. The
weighted average is calculated as
+∞
y(t) = ∫ h(t − λ) ⋅ f(λ) ⋅ dλ
−∞
In this equation, f(t) is the internal temperature, h(t) is the weighting function, and
y(t) is the weighted average. Note that the variable λ is just a dummy variable for
integration and does not appear in the final result.
Things to try
Increase the width of the weighting function (i.e., increase τ). Note that the
calculated temperature gets smoother because the "average" is over a longer time
period.
Decrease the width of the weighting function (i.e., decrease τ). Note that the
calculated temperature gets closer to the external temperature because the
"average" is over a shorter time period.
Try setting t=8 days, τ=4 days. The calculated internal temperature (i.e., the
weighted average) is above 0° because the temperature in the recen past was
mostly above 0°.
Try setting t=18 days, τ=4 days. The calculate internal temperature (i.e., the
weighted average) is below 0° because the temperature in the recent past was
below above 0°.
Try setting τ=1.5 days. The calculated internal and external temperature are almost
equal after an initial startup transient (see below for explanation if you are interested).
The Convolution as A Sum of Impulse

Responses
Motivation The Convolution Integral Demo A Systems Perspective Evaluation of
Convolution Integral Laplace Printable
Contents
The convolution as a sum of impulse responses.
Key Concept: Convolution Determines the Output of a
System for any Input
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System for any Input

Visualizing the Convolution Integral
more examples
An Example of the Convolution Integral with a Piecewise Function
Convolution is a very powerful technique that can be used to calculate the zero
state response (i.e., the response to an input when the system has zero initial
conditions) of a system to an arbitrary input by using the impulse response of a
system. It uses the power of linearity and superposition. To understand the power
that this technique gives, consider the system described by the differential equation:
ÿ (t) + ẏ (t) + y (t) = f (t)

where y(t) is the output, and f(t) is the input. The impulse response of this system,
h(t), can be shown to be equal to
h (t) = √ 43 e−0.5t sin(√ 34 t), t⩾0 (from Laplace Transform Table)
The impulse response is shown graphically below.
You know how to find the output y(t) if the input f(t) is a well defined input such as a
step, impulse or sinusoid. Convolution allows you to determine the response to
more complex inputs like the one shown below. In fact, you can use convolution to
find the output for any input, if you know the impulse response. This gives
incredible power.
4/18/23, 00:14
There are several ways to understand how convolution works. First convolution
will be developed in an approximate form as the sum of impulse responses. This
presentation is useful for an intuitive understanding of the convolution process.
After the approximate form is developed, the exact analytic form of convolution is
given. You can also link to an example of the convolution integral in action, and to a
less physical (more mathematical) derivation.
The convolution as a sum of impulse responses.

(the Matlab script, Convolution.m, was used to create all of the graphs in this section).
To understand how convolution works, we represent the continuous function

shown above by a discrete function, as shown below, where we take a sample of the
input every 0.8 seconds.
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The approximation can be taken a step further by replacing each rectangular block
by an impulse as shown below. The area of each impulse is the same as the area
of the corresponding rectangular block. (Since the width of the block was 0.8, each
impulse falls slightly below the function).
The superposition theorem states that the response of the system to the string of
impulses is just the sum of the response to the individual impulses. The response of
the system to the individual impulses is shown below.
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Lets look carefully at this graph and note the following:

The response of the system to a unit impulse, δ(t), is h(t).
The response of the system to a unit impulse delayed by time i·ΔT, δ(t-i·ΔT), is h(t-
i·ΔT).
The response of the system to an impulse of area A delayed by time i·ΔT, is A·h(t-
i·ΔT).
The height of the function at a time t=i·ΔT is f(i·ΔT).
The area of the impulse at t=i·ΔT is f(i·ΔT)·ΔT.
The delayed and shifted impulse response is given by f(i·ΔT)·ΔT·h(t-i·ΔT).
Therefore the response of the system to a series of delayed impulses, as shown
above is

In this equation
y(t) is the output
i·ΔT is the time delay of each impulse
(f(i·ΔT)·ΔT) is the area of the ith impulse
if you take the limit as ΔT→0, the summation yields the convolution integral
(with i·ΔT=λ, ΔT=dλ)

This is the Convolution Theorem.

The integral is often presented with limits of positive and negative infinity:

For our purposes the two integrals are equivalent because f(λ)=0 for λ<0, h(t-
λ)=0 for t>xxlambda;.
The arguments in the integral can also be switched to give two equivalent
forms of the convolution integral

4/18/23, 00:14

The convolution is often denoted by an asterisk (*)

This equation merely states that the output is equal to the sum of the responses
from the individual impulses. Another (more mathematical) derivation of the
convolution integral is given here.
The summed response is shown in the graph below, along with the individual
responses.
Obviously if you decrease the accuracy of the approximation should improve.

The graph below shows the impulse responses if we let ΔT=0.3 seconds (instead of
0.8 seconds as shown above). Note that the individual responses are smaller, since
the area of each impulse is smaller.
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The graph below shows our approximate response, for ΔT=0.8 and ΔT=0.3,
along with the exact response (the "exact" response is actually a numerical
approximation, as calculated by Matlab).
The graph below shows the "exact" response along with the response calculated
using Matlab "conv" (convolve) function. Type "help conv" at the Matlab prompt to
see how it works. Examine the script, convolution.m, which generated all these
graphs for an example of how to use the function.
4/18/23, 00:14
Hopefully this background gives you some physical insight into how convolution
can be used to find the response of the system to an arbitrary input.
Key Concept: Convolution Determines the Output of a System for any

Input
Convolution can be used to calculate the zero state response (i.e., the
response to an input when the system has zero initial conditions) of a system
to an arbitrary input by using the impulse response of a system. Given a
system impulse response, h(t), and the input, f(t), the output, y(t) is the
convolution of h(t) and f(t):
If h(t)=0 for t<0 and f(t)=0 for t<0 we can change the limits of integration such
that:
Visualizing the Convolution Integral

To visualize the convolution we start from the definition:
+∞
y (t) = ∫ f (λ) h (t − λ) dλ
4/18/23, 00:14
y (t) = ∫ f (λ) h (t − λ) dλ
−∞
or equivalently
t
y (t) = ∫ f (λ) h (t − λ) dλ
0
if h(t)=0, t<0 and f(t)=0, t<0.
Consider the system discussed previously with the impulse response described
by:
4 3
h (t) = √ e−0.5t sin(√ t), t⩾0
3 4
as shown below
To find the response of the system, y(t), to an input, f(t), at t=1 sec we need to
evaluate the integral
t
y (t) = ∫ f (λ) h (t − λ) dλ
0
with t=1. To visualize this process consider the product f(λ)h(t-λ). A plot of f(λ)
yields the input. A plot of h(t-λ) yields a time-reversed version of the impulse
response with a time delay of t (1 second in this case). These are shown below
along with the product of the two functions (solid black line). The function h(t-λ) is
plotted in magenta and doesn't look much like the function above -- but note the
4/18/23, 00:14
plotted in magenta and doesn't look much like the function above -- but note the
different vertical scales.
The next graph shows the result of the integration for all time, with a black dot at
t=1.
As t is increased further the function h(t-λ) shifts to the right. The multiplication and
integration can be evaluated for each value of t to yield the system response y(t).
The graphs below are similar to the ones above, except that t=4.
Motivation The Convolution Integral Convolution Demo A Systems Perspective

Evaluation of Convolution Integral Laplace Printable
Convolution Demo and Visualization

This page can be used as part of a tutorial on the convolution of two signals. It
lets the user visualize and calculate how the convolution of two functions is
determined - this is ofen refered to as graphical convoluiton.
4/18/23, 00:14
The tool consists of three graphs.
Top graph: Two functions, h(t) (dashed red line) and f(t) (solid blue line) are plotted
in the topmost graph. As you choose new functions, these graphs will be updated.
Middle graph: The middle graph shows three separate functions and has an
independent variable (i.e., x-axis) of λ. This is important - in this graph λ varies and t
is constant. Shown are
f(λ) (solid blue line). Note: this looks just like f(t).
h(t-λ) (dashed red line). Note: this is reversed horizontally relative to the original
(because of the minus sign on the independent variable, i.e., -λ) and shifted
horizontally (by the an amount equal to the constant t).
the product, f(λ)·h(t-λ) (pink line, and filled in with pink). Note: this is a function of λ,
with t being a constant). This function is shaded in pink as a reminder that the
convolution is the integral of this function for this particular value of t. (i.e., the
shaded area above 0 minus the shaded area below zero).
the value of "t". You can change the value of t by clicking and dragging within
the middle or bottom graph.
The variable λ does not appear in the final convolution, it is merely a dummy
variable used in the convolution integral (see below).
Bottom graph: The bottom graph shows y(t), the convolution of h(t) and f(t),
as well as the value of "t" specified in the middle graph (you can change the value of
t by clicking and dragging within the middle or bottome graph).
+∞ t
y(t) = ∫ h(t − λ) ⋅ f(λ) ⋅ dλ = ∫ h(t − λ) ⋅ f(λ) ⋅ dλ
−
−∞ 0
Click here to see why the two integrals are equal despite the different limits of integration.
h(t), f(t) vs time

4
2 h(t)
h(t), f(t)
f(t)
4/18/23, 00:14
-1
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5
t
h(t-λ), f(λ), h(t-λ)·f(λ) vs λ

4
3
h(t-λ), f(λ), h(t-λ)·f(λ)
2 h(t-λ)
f(λ)
h(t-λ)·f(λ)
1 t
-1
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5
λ
y(t)=f(t)*h(t), convolution of f(t) and h(t)

2
1
y(t)
t
y(t)
Convolution: A Systems Approach


These notes are taken from notes by Searl Dunn.
pdf version
Convolution is a powerful tool for determining the output of a system to any input.
The Convolution Theorem is developed here in a completely mathematical way. On
this page we will derive the convolution theorem: If the input to a system is x(t), and
the impulse response of that system is h(t), then we can determine the output of the
system, y(t), from the integral:
t
https://lpsa.swarthmore.edu/Convolution/ConvolvePrint.html ∫ Page 15 of 26
4/18/23, 00:14
t
y (t) = ∫ h (t − λ) f (λ) dλ
0
Start with a linear time-invariant (LTI) system (in box). There is an input to the
system, x(t), and an output from the system, y(t).
Now consider the same system with the input as an impulse, δ(t). The output is
then, by definition, the impulse response, h(t).
If we use a delayed impulse into the system, the output is just the impulse response
with the same delay.
Because of linearity, if we scale the input by any factor, the output will be scaled by
the same factor. In particular, we can scale the input (and hence the output) by the
factor x(λ)dλ.
If we integrate the input, the output is also integrated. In this case we'll take the
upper limit of the integration to be t+; but it could just as well have been positive
infinity. We could also take the lower lower limit to be negative infinity.
By the sifting property of the impulse function we know that (if λ>0, t>0):
4/18/23, 00:14
By the sifting property of the impulse function we know that (if λ>0, t>0):
t
∫ δ (t − λ) x (λ) dλ = x (t)
0
Therefore the input to the system is x(t)
If the input is x(t), then the output must be y(t) (by definition, from the first diagram).
The Evaluation of the Convolution Integral

Motivation The Convolution Integral Examples A Systems Perspective Evaluation of
Contents
Introduction
Review: Convolution as sum of impulse responses
In Depth Example (rectangular pulse and exponential)
Brief Examples - how to determine integration limits
Introduction
This page goes through an example that describes how to evaluate the
convolution integral for a piecewise function. The key idea is to split the integral up
into distinct regions where the integral can be evaluated. This is done in detail for
the convolution of a rectangular pulse and exponential. This is followed by several
examples that describe how to determine the limits of integrations that need to be
used when convolving piecewise functions.
In this web page we will use the system described by the differential equation:
ẏ(t) + y(t) = f(t)
4/18/23, 00:14
which has an impulse response given by a causal exponential (i.e., h(t) is assumed
to be zero for t<0), shown as a red dashed line. We will use convolution to find the
zero input response of this system to the input given by a rectangular pulse, which
we define piecewise by three distinction sections, and shown as a blue line.
h(t), f(t) vs time

2
h (t) = e−t , t≥0

1
h(t), f(t)
⎧
⎪ 0, t < 0 (sec tion 1)
f (t) = ⎨ 1, 0 ≤ t ≤ 2 (sec tion 2)
0
⎩
⎪
0, 2 < t (sec tion 3)
-1
-1 0 1 2 3
t
The next section reiterates the development of the page deriving the convolution
integral. If you feel you know that material, you can skip ahead to the mechanics of
using the convolution integral.
Review: Convolution as sum of impulse responses

f(i·ΔT)δ(t-i·Δ
1
fapprox(t) = f(i·ΔT)δ(t-i·ΔT)
For continuity with the page deriving the convolution

integral
we can approximate the input by a series of
impulses...
Note the first and last impulses are smaller because they include
the parts
of f(t) that are zero before the pulse (t<0) and after the pulse (t>2).
0
-1 0 1 2
t
4/18/23, 00:14
plot the response of the system to each of these

impulses...
Exact and approxim

1
then plot the response as the sum of the individual

responses (in magenta).
y(t) and yapprox(t)

∞
yapprox (t) = ∑ (f (i ⋅ ∆T ) ⋅ ∆T ) ⋅ h (t − i ⋅ ∆T )
i=0
The green line on the plot is the exact solution and is

derived below.
0
-1 0 1 2
t
Mechanics: The Mechanics of the Convolution Integral

Now let's discuss how we can find an exact solution to this problem, which is not
always straightforward with functions that are defined piecewise. To find the output
of the system with impulse response
h(t) = e−2t , t>0

to the input
⎧
⎪ 0, t < 0 (sec tion 1)
f(t) = ⎨ 1, 0 ≤ t ≤ 1 (sec tion 2)
⎩
⎪
0, 1 < t (sec tion 3)
we will use the convolution integral
+∞
https://lpsa.swarthmore.edu/Convolution/ConvolvePrint.html ∫ Page 19 of 26
4/18/23, 00:14
y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ

−∞
Because the input function has three distinct regions t<0, 0<t<1 and 1<t, we will
need to split up the integral into three parts.
Section 1: t<0
For t<0 the argument of the impulse function (t-λ) is always negative. Since h(t-
λ)=0 for (t-λ)<0, the result of the integral is zero for t<0.
This situation is depicted graphically below (t=-0.2):

2
1
h(t-λ)
f(λ)
h(t-λ)·f(λ)
0 t
-1
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5
λ
The result for the first part of our solution is the integral of the magenta line (this is
the product, which is always zero),
y(t) = 0, t<0
Section 2: 0<t<2

For 0<t<2 we need to evaluate the integral only from λ=0 to λ=t, since f(λ)=0
when λ<0, and h(t-λ)=0 when (t-λ)<0 (or, equivalently t<λ). So the integral
becomes, in effect:
y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ

0
This situation is depicted graphically below (t=0.5):
4/18/23, 00:14

2
1
h(t-λ)
f(λ)
h(t-λ)·f(λ)
0 t
-1
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5
λ
We can now evaluate the integral of the magenta line:
+∞
y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ

−∞
t t
= ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ = ∫ 1 ⋅ e−2(t−λ) dλ

0 0
t
1 2t t
= e−2t ∫ e2λ dλ = e−2t ( e ∣∣0 )
2
0
1
= e−2t ( (e2t − 1))
2
1
= (1 − e−2t )
2
Thus, the result for the second part of the solution is
1
y(t) = (1 − e−2t ) , 0≤t≤1
2
Section 3: 2<t

For 1<t we need to evaluate the integral only from λ=0 to λ=2, since f(λ)=0 when
λ<0 and when λ>2. So the integral becomes, in effect:
4/18/23, 00:14
y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ

0
This situation is depicted graphically below (t=1.2):

2
1
h(t-λ)
f(λ)
h(t-λ)·f(λ)
0 t
-1
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5
λ
We can now evaluate the integral:
+∞
y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ

−∞
1 1
= ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ = ∫ 1 ⋅ e−2(t−λ) dλ

0 0
1
1 2t 1
= e−2t ∫ e2λ dλ = e−2t ( e ∣∣ )
2 0
0
1 1
= e−2t ( (e2 − 1)) = e−2(t−1) ( (1 − e−2 ))
2 2
Thus, the result for the third part of the solution is:
1
y(t) = e−2(t−1) ( (1 − e−2 )) , 1<t
2
The Complete Answer

4/18/23, 00:14
The Complete Answer

We can get the results for all time by combining the solutions from the three parts.
⎧
⎪
0, t<0
y (t) = ⎨ 2 (1 − e ) ,
1 −2t
0≤t≤1
⎪
⎩ e−2(t−1) ( 1 (1 − e−2 )) ,
2
1<t
This result is shown below.
y(t)=f(t)*h(t), convolution of f(t) and h(t)

1
y(t)
-1
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5
t
This problem is solved elsewhere using the Laplace Transform (which is a much simpler technique,
computationally).
Animation: The Convolution Integral

An interactive demonstration of the example above is available.
Interactive Demo

Examples
When the functions f(t) and/or h(t) are defined in a piecewise manner it is often
difficult to determine the limits of integration. To develop your ability to do this
several examples are given below, each with a different number of "regions" for the
convolution integral. The integrals are not actually performed, only the limits of
integration for each region are given. To determine the integral you need only
substitue in f(λ) and h(t-λ). In all cases there is a trivial region, t<0, where
t
∫−∞ f (λ) h (t − λ) dλ = 0. Click on any of the examples below (the text at the
left side of the page) to show or hide it. Each of the examples also has a link to an
4/18/23, 00:14
left side of the page) to show or hide it. Each of the examples also has a link to an
interactive demo which will allow you to vary t as well as to see the output of the
convolution.
Simplest case: 2 regions

Convolution of two exponentials, f(t) = e−t , h(t) = 3 ⋅ e−3t .
Region /
Graph
Integral
Region
1, t<0 Trivial, not shown
t
∫−∞ =0

4
3
Region 2 h(t-λ)
2, t≥0 f(λ)
h(t-λ)·f(λ)
∫0t 1
t
Convolution and Laplace

Evaluation of the convolution integral can be difficult. It is often much easier to do

the convolution in the Laplace Domain and then transform back to the time domain
(if you haven't studied the Laplace Transform you can skip this for now). We know
that given system impulse response, h(t), system input, f(t), that the system output,
y(t) is given by the convolution of h(t) and f(t).
4/18/23, 00:14
y(t) is given by the convolution of h(t) and f(t).
In the Laplace domain, this integral becomes a multiplication
To see how much easier this is than performing the integral in the time domain
consider the convolution integral from the previous page.
Example: Convolution in the Laplace Domain
Find y(t) given:

Note: This problem is solved on the previous page in the time domain (using the convolution
integral). If you examine both techniques, you can see that the Laplace domain solution is much
easier.
Solution:
To evaluate the convolution integral we will use the convolution property of the
Laplace Transform:
We need the Laplace Transforms of f(t) and h(t), but we can look them up in the
tables:
So
4/18/23, 00:14
We can look up both of these terms in the tables.
We can now write y(t) (which is implicitly zero for t<0)

References
© Copyright 2005-2013 Erik Cheever This page may be freely used for educational purposes.
Erik Cheever Department of Engineering Swarthmore College
References
© Copyright 2005 to 2014 Erik Cheever This page may be freely used for educational purposes.
Erik Cheever Department of Engineering Swarthmore College

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The Convolution Integral, Printable

Motivation The Convolution Integral Convolution Demo A Systems Perspective

Modeling a physical system

The problem we will consider is that of the interior temperature of an unheated

-10 External Temp

Impulse Response Type (valid for t≥0)

f(λ) = Ext T, and h(t-λ) vs λ

External and Internal Temperature vs t

The Convolution as A Sum of Impulse

System for any Input

ÿ (t) + ẏ (t) + y (t) = f (t)

h (t) = √ 43 e−0.5t sin(√ 34 t), t⩾0 (from Laplace Transform Table)

The impulse response is shown graphically below.

The convolution as a sum of impulse responses.

To understand how convolution works, we represent the continuous function

Lets look carefully at this graph and note the following:

This is the Convolution Theorem.

The convolution is often denoted by an asterisk (*)

Obviously if you decrease the accuracy of the approximation should improve.

Key Concept: Convolution Determines the Output of a System for any

Visualizing the Convolution Integral

if h(t)=0, t<0 and f(t)=0, t<0.

Motivation The Convolution Integral Convolution Demo A Systems Perspective

Convolution Demo and Visualization

The tool consists of three graphs.

h(t), f(t) vs time

h(t-λ), f(λ), h(t-λ)·f(λ) vs λ

y(t)=f(t)*h(t), convolution of f(t) and h(t)

Convolution: A Systems Approach

Therefore the input to the system is x(t)

The Evaluation of the Convolution Integral

ẏ(t) + y(t) = f(t)

h(t), f(t) vs time

h (t) = e−t , t≥0

Review: Convolution as sum of impulse responses

For continuity with the page deriving the convolution

plot the response of the system to each of these

Exact and approxim

then plot the response as the sum of the individual

y(t) and yapprox(t)

The green line on the plot is the exact solution and is

Mechanics: The Mechanics of the Convolution Integral

h(t) = e−2t , t>0

we will use the convolution integral

y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ

This situation is depicted graphically below (t=-0.2):

h(t-λ), f(λ), h(t-λ)·f(λ) vs λ

Section 2: 0<t<2

y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ

This situation is depicted graphically below (t=0.5):

h(t-λ), f(λ), h(t-λ)·f(λ) vs λ

h(t-λ), f(λ), h(t-λ)·f(λ)

We can now evaluate the integral of the magenta line:

y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ

= ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ = ∫ 1 ⋅ e−2(t−λ) dλ

Section 3: 2<t

y(t) = ∫ f(λ) ⋅ h(t − λ)dλ