Lecture 16: Z-Transform

 Introduction: The DTFT provides a frequency-domain representation of discrete-time

signals. Because of the convergence condition, in many cases, the DTFT of a sequence may
not exist, thereby making it impossible to make use of such frequency-domain
characterization in these cases. A generalization of the DTFT leads to the z-transform.
Z-transform may exist for many sequences for which the DTFT does not exist. Use of
z-transform permits simple algebraic manipulations.

Z-transform of a discrete time signal x(n) is given by:


X  z   x  n z n ----------------------- [1]
n 
j
Where ‘z’ is a complex variable that can be represented as z = re , where ‘r’ is the
magnitude and ‘  ’ is the phase angle.

 Relation between z-transform and DTFT:

jω
If we let z = r e , then the z-transform reduces to:

X (re j )  
n 
x(n)(re  )  n j


 X (re ) j
 x ( n) r
n 
 n  j n
e
Now, if r = 1 then:

j
X (e )  X ( )   x ( n) e
n 
 j n

Which is the Fourier transform of x(n). Thus, the z-transform of x(n) can be viewed as the
-n
Fourier transform of x(n) multiplied by an exponential sequence r , or in other words
Fourier transform of a sequence x(n) is equal to z transform of a sequence x(n) on a unit
circle in a z-plane.

Lecture Notes on Digital Signal Processing (EE1706): By Roshan Pradhan Page 1

 Convergence of Z-transform: By redefining convergence, it is possible that for a sequence
z-transform may converge even when the Fourier transform does not. DTFT of a sequence
x(n) is given by,


X  e j    x n  e jn
n 

DTFT does not always converge, the condition for the convergence of DTFT is absolutely
summablity of x(n). i.e.

 | x ( n) |
n 
<

The z-transform of x(n) can be viewed as the Fourier transform of x(n) multiplied by an
-n
exponential sequence r . Hence,

 
X ( z )  X  re j   x  n  re j    x  n r  e
n

n 

n 
n  j n

Hence, the condition for convergence of z transform can be given by:

 x ( n) r
n 
n


 Region of convergence: For a given sequence, the set of values of z for which its
z-transform exists/converges is called the region of convergence (ROC) or in other words
the region of convergence is the region in the z plane where for all values of z the
z-transform of the sequence exists.

 Examples of z-transform:

Example 1: x(n)   [n]


The z-transform is given by: X ( z )    [ n] z
n 
n

Since,  [n]  1 only for n = 0 and  [n]  0 for all other values of n, the z-transform reduces

to: X ( z )  1. z 0  1
Here since X[z] = 1 for all values of z, its region of convergence is entire z-plane.

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 Example 2: x(n)  u[n] , the given signal is a right sided / causal infinite duration sequence

The z-transform is given by: X ( z )   u[n]z
n 
n

Since, u[n]  1 only for n0 and u[n]  0 for all other values of n, the z-transform reduces

to: X ( z )   1.z
n 0
n
 1  z 1  z 2  z 3  ......

The above equation is an infinite power series of the form : 1  x  x2  x3  x4  .......x . The
1
infinite series converges to provided | x| < 1.
1 x
1
Therefore, X [ z ]  1
for | z 1 | 1  | z ||1|
1 z
1 z
Hence, for x(n)  u(n) , X [ z ]  1
= and ROC : | z ||1| , Hence the ROC is the
1 z z 1
region in the z-plane outside the unit circle.

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 Example 3: x(n)  a nu (n) , the given signal is a right sided / causal infinite duration
sequence.
The z-transform is given by:
 
X ( z)  
n 
a n u ( n) z  n   (az
n 0
1 n
)

 X [ z ]  1  (az 1 )1  (az 1 )2  (az 1 )3  .....

The above equation is an infinite power series of the form : 1  x  x2  x3  x4  .......x . The
1
infinite series converges to provided | x| < 1.
1 x
1
Therefore, X [ z ]  for | az 1 | 1  | z || a |
1  az 1
1 z
Hence for x(n)  a nu (n) , X [ z ]  1
= and ROC : | z || a | , i.e the ROC is the
1  az za
region in the z-plane outside the circle of radius ‘a’.

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 Example 4: x(n)  a nu(n  1) , the given signal is a left sided / anti-causal infinite duration
sequence.
The z-transform is given by:
   
X ( z)   
n 
a nu (n  1) z  n   
n  1
an z n   
n 1
an z n    (a
n 1
1
z )n

 X [ z ]  (a 1 z )1  (a 1 z )2  (a 1 z)3  .....

The above equation is an infinite power series of the form : x  x2  x3  x4  .......x . The
x
infinite series converges to provided | x| < 1.
1 x
a 1 z
Therefore, X [ z ]   1
for | a 1 z | 1  | z || a |
1 a z
a 1 z z z 1
Hence for x(n)  a nu(n  1) , X [ z ]      and ROC : | z || a |
1  a z a  z z  a 1  az 1
1

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 The ROC is the region in the z-plane inside the circle of radius ‘a’.

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