EE202B.

Signals and Systems

Homework 1 Solution
Problem 1. Determine whether each of the following signals is periodic and, if it is, determine
its fundamental period.
(a) x(t) = ejπ/3 + sin (20t)
Answer. x(t) is periodic with period π/10 as shown below.
 π   π 
x t+ = ejπ/3 + sin 20 t +
10 √ 10
1 3   π 
= + j + sin 20 t +
2 √2 10
1 3
= + j + sin (20t + 2π)
2 2
= x(t)

(b) x(t) = 5.2 + 3 sin (4t + 3) − 6.1 cos (10t − 2)

Answer. x(t) is periodic with fundamental periodic t = π as shown below

x(t + π) = 5.2 + 3 sin (4(t + π) + 3) − 6.1 cos (10(t + π) − 2)

= 5.2 + 3 sin (4t + 4π + 3) − 6.1 cos (10t + 10π − 2)
= 5.2 + 3 sin (4t + 3) − 6.1 cos (10t − 2)
= x(t)

(c) x[n] = sin (π − 2n)

Answer. If n were a continuous time variable, then x[n] would be periodic with a period of
π. However, n is discrete so that x[n] is not periodic. This can be seen since the argument of
sin (π − 2n) can never be 2π + constant for discrete values of n.

(d) x[n] = 3 cos (πn/8) − sin (πn/16 − 3) + 2 sin (2πn − π/4)

Answer. x[n] is periodic and its period is 32 as shown below:
π π π
x[n] = 3 cos ( n) − sin ( n − 3) + 2 sin (2πn − )
8  16πn 4 
πn πn π π
= 3 cos ( ) − sin ( ) cos 3 − cos ( ) sin 3 + sin (2πn) cos − cos (2πn) sin
8 16 16 4 4
πn πn πn π
= 3 cos ( ) − sin ( ) cos 3 + cos ( ) sin 3 − sin
8 16 16 4
then,
π(n + 32) π(n + 32) π(n + 32) π
x[n + 32] = 3 cos ( ) − sin ( ) cos 3 + cos ( ) sin 3 − sin
8 16 16 4
πn πn πn π
= 3 cos ( ) − sin ( ) cos 3 + cos ( ) sin 3 − sin
8 16 16 4
= x[n]

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Problem 2.
(a) Consider the signal x(t) in the following figure.

Sketch and label carefully the following signal: 2x(3 − 2t ) + 1

Answer. We can find x(3 − 2t ) by first shifting, then flipping, and finally scaling. If we shift
x(t) to the left by 3, we generate x(3 + t):

Next, we reverse time (or flip) to generate x(3 − t):

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Then, we scale time by a factor of 2 (remember, division results in a time expansion), this
yields x(3 − 2t ):

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 Finally we multiply this signal by two and add 1 to find our solution, 2x(3 − 2t ) + 1:

(b) Consider the signal x[n] in the following figure.

Sketch and label carefully the following signal: x[6 − 2n]

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 Answer. x[−n] is x[n] flipped across the y-axis:

x[−2n] is x[−n] with the x-axis scaled by half; since we are in discrete time, this results in the
saving of the even values:

x[6 − 2n] should be thought of as x[2(3 − n)], and is a shifting of x[−2n] by three units to the
right:

Problem 3. For each system, determine which of the following four properties hold: time-
invariance, linearity, causality, and stability. Justify your answers with a proof or counterexample.

(a) y(t) = x(sin t)

Answer. Let the input be x1 (t) = t. Then the output is y1 (t) = sin t. Let x2 (t) = x1 (t − 1) =

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 t − 1 be the input delayed by 1. The output to this new input is y2 (t) = (sin t) − 1. However,
this y2 (t) is not y1 (t) delayed by 1: y1 (t − 1) = sin (t − 1) ̸= (sin t) − 1 = y2 (t), so the system
is not time-invariant.

We have:

x1 (t) −→ y1 (t) = x1 (sin t)

x2 (t) −→ y2 (t) = x2 (sin t)

If the input is:

x(t) = ax1 (t) + bx2 (t)

then the output is:

y(t) = x(sin t)
= ax1 (sin t) + bx2 (sin t)
= ay1 (t) + by2 (t)

Thus, the system is linear.

y(−π) = x(sin (−π)) = x(0). Thus, the value of y(t) when t = −π (a negative number)
requires knowledge of x(t) at t = 0, which is in the future. So the system is not causal.

Let |x(t)| < B for all t. Then, |y(t)| = |x(sin t)| < B. Since the value of the output is
the same as the value of the input as some (possible other) time, then restricting the input
value to some range will restrict the output to the same range. Thus, the system is stable.

(b) y(t) = sin (x(t))

Answer. Let x2 (t) = x1 (t − t0 ). Then, y2 (t) = sin (x2 (t)) = sin (x1 (t − t0 )) = y1 (t − t0 ). The
system is time-invariant.

Let x1 (t) = 1 and x2 (t) = 2x1 (t) = 2 for all t. Then, y2 (t) = sin (x2 (t)) = sin (2x1 (t)) =
sin (2) ̸= 2 sin (1) = 2 sin (x1 (t)) = 2y1 (t). The system is not linear.

The value of y(t) at t = t0 is a function only of the value of x(t) at exactly the same time; no
future values are used. The system is causal.

The value returned by sine always has magnitude less that or equal to 1, so the magnitude of
the output y(t) is always restricted to some finite range (regardless of the input). The system
is stable.
R t2
(c) y(t) = t x(τ − 1) dτ
R t2
Answer. Let x1 (t) = 1 for all t, x2 (t) = x1 (t−1) = 1 for all t. Then, y2 (t) = t x2 (τ −1) dτ =
R t2 2 2
R (t−1)2
t dτ = t − t ̸= (t − 1) − (t − 1) = t−1 x1 (τ − 1) dτ = y1 (t − 1). The system is not

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 time-invariant.

If the input is:

x(t) = ax1 (t) + bx2 (t)

then the output is:

Z t2
y(t) = x(τ − 1) dτ
t
Z t2
= [ax1 (τ − 1) + bx2 (τ − 1)] dτ
t
"Z 2 # "Z 2 #
t t
=a x1 (τ − 1) dτ + b x2 (τ − 1) dτ
t t

= ay1 (t) + by2 (t)

Thus the system is linear.

R (−1)2 R1
y(−1) = −1 x(τ − 1) dτ = −1 x(τ − 1) dτ . Since y(t) at t = −1 depends on x(t) from
t = −2 to t = 0 (some future times), the system is not causal.
R t2 R t2
Let x(t) = 1 for all t. Then, y(t) = t x(τ − 1) dτ = t dτ = t2 − t. As t → ±∞,
y(t) grows unbounded, even though x(t) is bounded. The system is not stable.

(d) y[n] = x[n]ejπn/3

Answer. Let x1 [n] = 1 for all n, x2 [n] = x1 [n − 1] = 1 for all t. Then, y2 [n] = x2 [n]ejπn/3 =
ejπn/3 ̸= ejπ(n−1)/3 = x1 [n − 1]ejπ(n−1)/3 = y1 [n − 1]. The system is not time-invariant.

If the input is:

x[n] = ax1 [n] + bx2 [n]

then the output is:

y[n] = x[n]ejπn/3
= (ax1 [n] + bx2 [n])ejπn/3
   
= a x1 [n]ejπn/3 + b x2 [n]ejπn/3
= ay1 [n] + by2 [n]

Thus the system is linear.

The value of y[n] at n = n0 depends only on the value of x[n] at the same instant in time. The
system is causal.

|y[n]| = |x[n]ejπn/3 | = |x[n]| · |ejπn/3 | = |x[n]|. The magnitude of y[n] is always the same
as that of x[n] at the same instant in time, so the system is stable.

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(e) y[n] = 2x[n]
Answer. Let x2 [n] = x1 [n − n0 ]. Then, y2 [n] = 2x2 [n] = 2x2 [n−n0 ] = y1 [n − n0 ]. The system
is time-invariant.

Let x1 [n] = 1 for all n, x2 [n] = 3x1 [n] = 3 for all n. Then, y2 [n] = 2x2 [n] = 23 = 8 ̸=
6 = 3 ∗ 21 = 3 ∗ 2x1 [n] = 3y1 [n]. The system is not linear.

The value of y[n] at n − n0 depends only on the value of x[n] at the same instant in time.
The system is causal.

If |x[n]| < B, then |y[n]| = |2x[n] | = |2Re{x[n]}+jIm{x[n]} | = |2Re{x[n]} 2jIm{x[n]} | = |2Re{x[n]} | ·

|2jIm{x[n]} | = 2Re{x[n]} ≤ 2|x[n]| < 2B . The system, is stable.