Hi,

Robin Whittle wrote:

>I need to learn more about calculus before I start to read this
>seriously.  I have attempted to get by without this mathematical
>knowledge, and while it can be done with certain Finite Impulse
>Response filters, maths is a crucial part of understanding IIR
>filtering and probably a lot of FIR too.

I don't think Calculus is absolutely required for digital filter theory.  If
you know the equations for the frequency response you can get by with
algebra.  It would also help to understand some complex variable theory for
doing the Z-transform.

Good luck,
Hans Mikelson

Hans Mikelson  wrote, in response to my statement 
that I needed to know more "calculus" to deal with DSP and filtering:

> I don't think Calculus is absolutely required for digital filter theory.  If
> you know the equations for the frequency response you can get by with
> algebra.  It would also help to understand some complex variable theory for
> doing the Z-transform.

Probably "calculus" is the wrong term for what Hans more clearly 
describes.  Whatever this stuff is, I need to know more of it - and 
since I last studied maths in 1972, I need to get on the case.

Algebra, sines, cosines etc. I am fine with.  In addition to 
thise, there are some reasonably daunting looking formulae, 
involving, to the best of my understanding:

1 - Integrating the results of the equation over a range of values of
    one or more of its variables.  (Isn't this calculus?)

2 - Equations which deal with two totally separate things at once:
    a "real" thing, and an "imaginary" thing.   

    The imaginary thing is sometimes or always couched in terms of 
    the square-root of -1, which does not exist, and this prevents it
    being converted into an ordinary number and mixed up with the 
    real stuff.

This "real" and "imaginary" stuff is known as "complex" variable 
theory.  I used to work at a tech college, and often saw a room full 
of elecronic students and a teacher hammering away with scientific 
calculators and a white-board full of formulae.  So far, I have never 
needed to know this stuff, and I always thought it was lopsided that 
they were forced to know this stuff, yet most of them would have been 
unable to tell me what a BC107 was, or which lead was its emitter, 
base and collector.


If you sense the evident gaps in my knowledge, and can recommend some 
reading for me, I would *really* appreciate it!

- Robin

===============================================================

Robin Whittle     rw@firstpr.com.au  http://www.firstpr.com.au
                  Heidelberg Heights, Melbourne, Australia 

First Principles  Research and expression: music, Internet 
                  music marketing, telecommunications, human 
                  factors in technology adoption. Consumer 
                  advocacy in telecommunications, especially 
                  privacy. Consulting and technical writing. 

Real World        Electronics and software for music: eg.
Interfaces        the Devil Fish mods for the TB-303. 

===============================================================

Hiyah!

Try "Engineering Mathematics by KA Stroud, published by Macmillan, ISBN
0-333-44887-1". It's about 15 UKP for nearly a thousand pages and is very
undaunting as it's based around problems - and they give you the
answers... :-)

It's intended for 1st year engineering students and helped me get my head
round complex numbers!

__
John Blakeley
http://www.ligotage.demon.co.uk

An excellent book is "Introductory Signal Processing with Computer
Applications" by P. A. Lynn and Wolfgang Fuerst, published byWiley. It
makes the unspoken assumption that the reader doesn't have a great
mathematical ability ( I'm at idiot level) and gradually introduces the
necessary maths.  It comes with a floppy of all the examples in both C and
Pascal. If you can manage basic trig then this book is for you.


>Hans Mikelson  wrote, in response to my statement
>that I needed to know more "calculus" to deal with DSP and filtering:
>
>> I don't think Calculus is absolutely required for digital filter theory.  If
>> you know the equations for the frequency response you can get by with
>> algebra.  It would also help to understand some complex variable theory for
>> doing the Z-transform.
>
>Probably "calculus" is the wrong term for what Hans more clearly
>describes.  Whatever this stuff is, I need to know more of it - and
>since I last studied maths in 1972, I need to get on the case.
>
>Algebra, sines, cosines etc. I am fine with.  In addition to
>thise, there are some reasonably daunting looking formulae,
>involving, to the best of my understanding:
>
>1 - Integrating the results of the equation over a range of values of
>    one or more of its variables.  (Isn't this calculus?)
>
>2 - Equations which deal with two totally separate things at once:
>    a "real" thing, and an "imaginary" thing.
>
>    The imaginary thing is sometimes or always couched in terms of
>    the square-root of -1, which does not exist, and this prevents it
>    being converted into an ordinary number and mixed up with the
>    real stuff.
>
>This "real" and "imaginary" stuff is known as "complex" variable
>theory.  I used to work at a tech college, and often saw a room full
>of elecronic students and a teacher hammering away with scientific
>calculators and a white-board full of formulae.  So far, I have never
>needed to know this stuff, and I always thought it was lopsided that
>they were forced to know this stuff, yet most of them would have been
>unable to tell me what a BC107 was, or which lead was its emitter,
>base and collector.
>
>
>If you sense the evident gaps in my knowledge, and can recommend some
>reading for me, I would *really* appreciate it!
>
>- Robin
>
>===============================================================
>
>Robin Whittle     rw@firstpr.com.au  http://www.firstpr.com.au
>                  Heidelberg Heights, Melbourne, Australia
>
>First Principles  Research and expression: music, Internet
>                  music marketing, telecommunications, human
>                  factors in technology adoption. Consumer
>                  advocacy in telecommunications, especially
>                  privacy. Consulting and technical writing.
>
>Real World        Electronics and software for music: eg.
>Interfaces        the Devil Fish mods for the TB-303.
>
>===============================================================