Signals and Systems (Spring 2026)

Instructor: Dongsheng Ding (dongshed@utk.edu)
Lecture time: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10:20 am - 11:10 am
Lecture location: Min Kao Building 404
Office: Min Kao Building 315
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, 11:10 am - 12:30 pm
Syllabus (PDF)

Course Description

This course introduces continuous- and discrete-time functions, function transformations, signal energy and power, solution of linear differential equations, system properties, convolution, continuous and discrete-time Fourier series, continuous and discrete-time Fourier transforms, Bode diagrams, and correlation.

Prerequisites

Familiarity with undergraduate-level calculus, linear algebra, and probability is recommended.

Recommended Materials

SS: Signals and Systems, 2nd Edition, A. Oppenheim, A. Willsky, S. Nawab, Prentice Hall, 1997.
LSS: Linear Systems and Signals, 3rd Edition, B. P. Lathi, R. Green, Oxford University Press, 2017.

SS is the main reference for the class. Both textbooks are used for readings and homework problems. The schedule lists recommended textbook chapters and sections. Problem sets are available on the Homework page and on Canvas.

Requirements

5% of the grade: Participation, including taking and sharing lecture notes, asking questions during class, and providing constructive feedback.
20% of the grade: Homework assignments, equally weighted, with the lowest score dropped. Homework 0 is an ungraded review.
20% of the grade: Midterm Exam I.
20% of the grade: Midterm Exam II.
35% of the grade: Final Exam.

The final project offers 5 bonus points toward the final score.

Teaching Assistants

Xinyu Feng (xfeng15@vols.utk.edu). Office: Min Kao Building 213. Office hours: Tuesday, Thursday, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm.
Atik Rahman (arahma19@vols.utk.edu). Office: Min Kao Building 540. Office hours: Tuesday, Thursday, 11:05 am - 12:05 pm.

Communications

Use Canvas for homework submissions and course-related discussions. For help with course material, email the instructor or a teaching assistant, or attend their office hours.

Use of Generative AI

Any use of generative AI tools must be explicitly acknowledged. Directly copying and pasting generated content is prohibited. Students are responsible for the correctness of their reasoning and answers. See the syllabus for the full course policies and the Homework page for submission requirements.