Definition

A system is called Time Invariant when an input x(t) is sent through a time delay and the system and, regardless of the order in which is goes through, the output is always y(t).

Examples

-Time Invariant-

y(t) = 25x(t)
x(t) -> syst. -> y(t)=25x(t) -> delay -> z(t) = y(t+t0) = 25x(t+t0)

Alternately

x(t) -> delay -> y(t)=x(t+to) -> syst. -> z(t) = 25y(t) = 25x(t+t0)

The outputs are the same=> The system is time invariant

-Non Time Invariant-

y(t) = x(t) + x(2t)
x(t) -> syst. -> y(t) = x(t) + x(2t) -> delay -> z(t) = y(t+t0) = x(t+t0) + x(2t+t0) 

Alternately

x(t) -> delay -> y(t) = x(t+t0) -> syst. -> z(t) = y(t) + y(2t) = x(t+t0) + x(2t+2t0)

The outputs are not the same=> The system is not time invariant

Alumni Liaison

BSEE 2004, current Ph.D. student researching signal and image processing.

Landis Huffman