EEE 391 Basics of Signals and Systems
Spring 2025-2026
Course Information
Instructor:
Prof. Billur Barshan
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
office: EE-404
office hours: by appointment (please send an e-mail first)
e-mail: billur
ee.bilkent.edu.tr
Teaching Assistants:
İsmail Enes Bülbül (coordinator TA)
office: EE-514
office hours: Tuesdays 11:30-12:20
e-mail: enes.bulbulbilkent.edu.tr
Sinan Topçakar
office: EE-510
office hours: Thursdays 13:30-14:20
e-mail: sinan.topcakarbilkent.edu.tr
Enescan Çelebi
office: EE-410
office hours:
e-mail: enescan.celebibilkent.edu.tr
Maedeh Adibag
office: EE-
office hours:
e-mail: maedeg.adibagbilkent.edu.tr
Emirhan Koç
office: EE-
office hours:
e-mail: emirhan.kocbilkent.edu.tr
Grader:
Arif Ataman
e-mail: arif.atamanbilkent.edu.tr
Prerequisite:
MATH 102 or MATH 116 or their equivalents (basic knowledge of calculus)
Textbook:
Signal Processing First,
J. H. McClellan, R. W. Schafer, and M. A. Yoder, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2003.
The compulsory textbook is an essential resource.
You are responsible for reading and studying everything
in the course textbook, unless it is explicitly stated that
a section is omitted. Omitted sections are listed
on the course web page.
The required textbook is self-sufficient for this course.
However for those who want to go beyond and learn the subject
at a more advanced and sophisticated level,
the following may be recommended:
Signals and Systems,
Alan V. Oppenheim, Alan S. Willsky, with S. Hamid Nawab,
Pearson New International Edition, 2/E, 2014.
This is a classic and widely known textbook currently used in the EE department.
Topics:
Week 1: overview of the course, sinusoidal signals and their parameters,
complex exponential signals and phasor representation
Week 2: time domain vs frequency domain, frequency spectrum representation of signals
Week 3: Fourier series representation of periodic signals
Week 4: quantization, discrete-time sequences, sampling, oversampling, undersampling, Shannon/Nyquist sampling theorem
Week 5: Nyquist rate, folding frequencies, reconstruction, aliasing
Week 6: discrete-time sequences, digital computation, causality, finite impulse
response (FIR) filters
Week 7: linearity, time-invariance, linear time-invariant (LTI) systems, discrete-time convolution sum (1D, 2D, 3D)
Week 8: frequency response of finite impulse response (FIR) filters
Week 9: z-transformation
Week 10: infinite impulse response (IIR) filters, 1st- and 2nd-order systems, pole-zero diagrams
Week 11: continuous-time systems, linearity, time invariance, and causality revisited, convolution integral for continuous-time systems, stability of systems
Week 12: frequency response of continuous-time systems
Week 13: continuous-time Fourier transform
Week 14: continuous-time Fourier transform pairs and properties
Week 15: Final Exams
Examinations and Grading:
All exams will be closed book and notes.
Necessary formulas will be provided.
Formula sheets cannot be shared before the exam.
Calculators will NOT be needed.
Midterm Exam (40%)
Final Exam (40%)
Announced Quiz (10%):
analytical questions similar to problems in the textbook
Mini Projects (two, 5% each):
Two MATLAB Assignments (5% each) in the nature of small projects.
There will be a two-hour MATLAB tutorial and some face-to-face
problem-solving/discussion sessions (two hours each) during the semester.
Minimum Requirements to Qualify for the Final Exam:
- To attend the midterm exam and get a grade >=32
There will be a make-up exam during the last week of classes
that will cover all the topics.
You may take the make-up exam if you have a medical report
or special permission on the day of the Midterm Exam.
Missed quizzes or cannot be made up for.
We only accept medical reports or special permissions
that are approved by the Dean's Office
(Please do NOT bring us a copy of your medical report
or special permission as they are sent to us through the Dean's Office.).
Last updated on 26 January 2026 by B. Barshan.