Causality

Definition: an LTI system is causal if only past and present values affect the output.

Example to satisfy this property:

         $  h(t) = t*e^{-t}*u(t) $
         

h(t) = 0 for t < 0 because u(t) = 0 for t < 0 Thus, this system exemplifies causality.


Example that does not satisfy this property:

        $  h(t) = e^{2t}u(-1-t) $
        $  u(-1-t) \neq 0 $ for t < 0 $ \Rightarrow h(t)\neq 0 $ for t < 0

Thus, the system does not exemplify causality.

Alumni Liaison

Ph.D. 2007, working on developing cool imaging technologies for digital cameras, camera phones, and video surveillance cameras.

Buyue Zhang