What is a convolution?
A convolution is a mathematical operation that represents a signal passing through a LTI (Linear
and Time-Invariant) system or filter. If we have a signal s(t) passing through a system with
impulse response h(t), the output is the convolution of s(t) with h(t). The convolution is simply
the integral of the product of the two functions (in this example the functions are s(t) and h(t)),
where one is reversed.
Convolution. Convolution is a mathematical operation of two functions that describes how the shape
of one is modified by the shape of the other. The result of this operation is the integral of their product,
after folding one and shifted across the other. This operation, symbolized by '*', is particularly useful
in signals theory, since the output signal Y(t) of a signal processing unit is the result of convolution
of the input signal X(t) with the impulse response function h(t) of the particular unit, i.e.
where τ is an auxiliary variable, a "dummy variable" that serves the calculation of the integral at each
time instance t.
***If delta function is the impulse response function of the unit (i.e. h(t) = δ(t)), then the output
function is identical to input function, since:
So why reverse one function?
Consider the response of the system to an impulse at time tn : it is h(t−tn ), right? At t=tn you will
have h(0) and all other points of h(t) will be shifted in the same way. At this point, we are
convolving the systems's function with a dirac delta function:
Only for τ=tn the multiplication inside the integral is non-zero and it is equal to h(t−τ)=h(t−tn ).
Now imagine a sequence of impulses at times t0, t1, and so on until tn that form a discrete signal.
The impulse responses accumulate, and you will have the accumulation of all the impulse
responses shifted by each impulse.
we can put the sum inside the integral:
In the limit of a continuous signal (the combination of very close together impulses creates a
signal), the summation will lead to signal s(t):
∫∞0s(τ)h(t−τ)dτ
Convolution summation (https://cnx.org/contents/Rb2WFpkK@1/DIGITAL-CONVOLUTION)
Continue we’ll have ∑k=8,2,0size 12{ Sum cSub { size 8{k} } { {}={}} 8,2,0} {}. Next, we
reverse the direction of shifting as indicated in step (4) above. The final output signal is
y(n)=[...0,1,4,9,11,8,2,0,...]