Signals and Systems 520.214
Prerequisite Knowledge
The mathematical prerequisites for 520.214 are a thorough understanding
of the arithmetic of complex numbers and a good grasp of elementary
calculus. The "Self Test" on the former
Signals Home Page provides a way to test your readiness to use
these topics. The questions reflect the kinds of
calculations that routinely appear in Signals. They might be regarded
as tricky, but they are very simple to work out by hand if you have a
good grasp of the concepts. Since calculators
are not permitted in Signals
and Systems exams, you will be required to do arithmetic only on
integers, simple fractions, and simple radicals. In addition, you need
to be able to rapidly compute sine, cosine, and tangent of angles that
are integer multiples of 45 degrees. Also, you need to be able to
compute the inverse tangent corresponding to such angles.
The techniques of
calculus used in Signals and Systems mainly involve simple integrals
and derivatives, changes of integration variables, and the Fundamental
Theorem of Calculus. Again, the calculus questions on the self test
provide a preview of standard calculations in the course.
You should be able to
do well in the self-test. If not, carefully consider whether you are
ready for this course, and if you do register for the course, be
prepared to spend extra time improving in your facility with the
requisite math.
The electrical
engineering prerequisite is 520.213, Circuits. We will make use of
electrical circuits as examples, and the last few weeks of the course
is devoted to new material on circuits. We will use Kirchoff's laws
and notions such as voltage and current dividers and source
transformations. In addition, the use of complex arithmetic in Circuits
is valuable math background.