ABSTRACT
The response of linear time invariant (LTI) circuit or system to an exponential driving signal is of particular importance since the general operation of such systems in both the frequency and time domains is completely determined by the response to an exponential time signal. This chapter considers some general aspects of the time domain response of LTI systems to arbitrary forcing functions. The eigenfunction response is a particular solution of an LTI system under exponential excitation. But the major significance of the eigenfunction solution is that under appropriate conditions it becomes the total response to an exponential forcing function. There are a number of different methods available to systematically carry out the eigenfunction analysis of an electric circuit. Nodal analysis is a frequently used general method for combining the topologic properties of a network with the constitutive relations defining voltage and current interdependence in the branches, so as to obtain an eigenvalue matrix for the complete system under eigenmode operation.
