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Practice Question 2, ECE438 Fall 2010, Prof. Boutin

On Computing the z-tramsfprm of a discrete-time signal.


Compute the z-transform of the discrete-time signal

$ x[n]= 4^n \left(u[n+3]-u[n-4] \right) $.

Note: there are two tricky parts in this problem. Do you know what they are?


Post Your answer/questions below.

$ x[n] = 4^n u[n+3] - 4^n u[n-4] $

$ x[n] = \sum_{n=-\infty}^{\infty} 4^n u[n+3] z^{-n} - \sum_{n=-\infty}^{\infty} 4^n u[n-4] z^{-n} $

$ {\color{red}\not}x {\color{red}\not}[n] {\color{red}X(z)} = \sum_{n=3}^{\infty} 4^n z^{-n} - \sum_{n=-\infty}^{4} 4^n z^{-n} $

$ {\color{red}\not}x {\color{red}\not}[n] {\color{red}X(z)}= \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} (\frac{4}{z})^n - 85 - \sum_{n=4}^{\infty} (\frac{4}{z})^n $

this is the mistake I made on my exam - could you please clarify my work, professor?

Certainly! This is a very common mistake: splitting a sum that converges for most z's into two sums that diverge for most z's. The key is to notice that the first sum above has a finite number of terms: so convergence of the entire sum is guaranteed, unless one (or more) of the terms of the sum diverge (for example, 1/z diverges when z=0). Observe that, by splitting the sum this way, you get an empty ROC. The correct ROC for this z-transform is actually all the finite complex plane except zero.



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