Signals and Systems For Dummies

Chapter 16

More Than Ten Common Mistakes to Avoid When Solving Problems

In This Chapter

Getting familiar with your calculator and its settings

Thinking carefully through each step of calculations

Remembering the “obvious” details of signals and systems math

One of my math professors from graduate school made an offhand comment one afternoon that has stuck with me. He said, “The obvious is often difficult, if not impossible, to prove.” What does this have to do with making mistakes on signals and systems problems, you ask? Well, here’s a not-so-hidden secret: Professors often put a few problems on each exam thinking the answers are obvious. Imagine the surprise when almost every student misses the gimmes.

Don’t be one of the students who misses the obvious. Slow down enough to think through solutions, and make sure your fundamental understanding of the core material is at least as good as your ability to work through detailed problems.

In this chapter, I point out more than ten common mistakes students make when trying to solve problems, and I tell you how to avoid them.

Miscalculating ...