ECE3084 Spring 2015

Homework 1

Note that the notation we will use in lecture, on homeworks,

and on tests is slightly different than that used in the textbook by
Chen. Here, to maintain continuity with ECE2026, we use u(t) to represent
the unit-step function, and x(t) to represent s ignals in general and system
inputs in particular. Chen, as well as many control system engineers, prefer
to use u(t) to represent system inputs. To avoid conflict, many alternative
notations for unit-step functions have been used; Chen uses q(t).
Please refrain from looking at backfiles of homework and exam
solutions i.e., word in Georgia Tech parlance from previous
versions of ECE2025, ECE2026, or ECE3084, beyond your own
materials assembled while taking those classes and any old material we explicitly provide to you. If you get stuck, please come get help
from your professor or TA before consulting a backfile.

Problem (1) As a warm-up, this problem reviews material from ECE2026,

particularly Eulers formula and complex numbers. Recall that Eulers formula said that exp(ja) = cos(a) + j sin(a), and that this could be used to
derive the inverse Eulers formulas cos(a) = [exp(a) + exp(a)]/2 and
sin(a) = [exp(a) exp(a)]/(2j).
The notations <e{z} and =m{z} represent taking the
real and imaginary
part of a complex number z. If z = a + jb, where j = 1 and a and b are
real, then <e{z} = a and =m{z} = b (notice that you do not include the j
when taking the imaginary part).
Do all parts of this problem without using a calculator or a
computer.
(a) Find (j j )j , i.e. j to the power of j to the power of j. (Hint: first convert
j to its polar form j = A exp(j), for appropriate values of A and ).
(b) Draw a labeled plot of a portion of the periodic signal x(t) =
=m{40 exp(j2000t)}. Let the left limit of your horizontal axis correspond
to t = 0, and choose the right limit of your horizontal axis such that you
plot exactly three periods.1
(c) (Credit to where it is due: this part was inspired by an old MIT problem
set.) Show that
1 exp(ja) = 2 sin(a/2) exp(j[a ]/2)
1

Throughout this course, when we say period, we mean fundamental period. Of

course a signal with the property that x(t) = x(t + T0 ) will also have the property that
x(t) = x(t + kT0 ), where k is an integer, so anything periodic with period T0 is also
periodic with period 2T0 , 3T0 , 4T0 , etc. The fundamental period of a periodic signal is
the smallest T0 such that x(t) = x(t + T0 ).

We will use this property in the part of the course that covers Fourier
transforms.
Problem (2) Expressions of the form y(t) = x(At + B) can modify a signal in three ways: time shifting, time scaling (stretching or compressing),
and/or flipping. You have to be careful when multiple such effects are happening at once, since it is easy to get confused.
Consider a function x(t) given by the graph:
x(t)

t
0

12

Given this x(t), draw a labeled sketch each of the following functions
y(t):
(a) ya (t) = x(t)
(b) yb (t) = x(t + 2)
(c) yc (t) = x(3t + 2)
(d) yd (t) = x(1 4t)
(Credit to where it is due: this problem was adapted from an old MIT
problem set.)
Problem (3) Using your brain instead of a calculator, draw a labeled
sketch the following signals:
(a) xa (t) = u(t + 1) u(t 1) + u(t 3).
(b) xb (t) = (t + 1)u(t 1) tu(t) u(t 2).
(c) xc (t) = 2(t 1)u(t 1) 2(t 2)u(t 2) + t(t 3)u(t 3).
(Credit where it is due: this problem was adapted from Problem 1.4
on page 39 of Fundamentals of Signals and Systems Using the Web and
MATLAB, 3rd Edition, by Kamen and Heck.)
Problem (3) Try your hand at simplifying the following expressions:
Z

t3

(a)

( + 9)d .
t+2

[u( 2) u( 5)]d (Hint: you can get rid of the unit step

(b)

functions in the integrand if you incorporate their effects by changing the

limits of the integral.)
(c)

1
X
k=1
Z t

(d)

t sin

t
2


(t k).

1
[( 3) + ( 5)]d .

d
(e) {t4 u(t + 5)} (Careful that is t + 5, not t 5!)
dt
Problem (5) Consider a continuous-time system whose output y(t) relates
to the input x(t) according to the equation
y(t) = cos([t ])[x(t ) + ],
where the parameters , , , and are real constants.
In the questions below, only focus on the parameter or parameters that
are relevant to the particular property you are being asked about in that
particular question. You do not need to say anything about the parameters
that are irrelevant to that particular property; in particular, we will take
off points if you constrain parameters that do not need to be constrained.
If you need to constrain a parameter to satisfy the stated criterion, give
the least restrictive constraint, i.e. if the system has a particular property for a range of values, be sure to specify the whole range. If no constraints are needed at all, write NONE.
Each part is independent of the others, i.e. the restrictions you state in
(b) are not on top of the restrictions you list in your answer to (a).
(Warning: A common mistake on this problem is that students will try
to make , , or be function of t, which makes no sense at all, since
those parameters are constants. Dont make the same mistake!)
(a) Describe how the parameters must be constrained to make the system
be linear.
(b) Describe how the parameters must be constrained to make the system
be time invariant.
(c) Describe how the parameters must be constrained to make the system
be causal.
(d) Describe how the parameters must be constrained to make the system
be memoryless.