A causal time-series representation expresses a time series using present and past driving white noise. Its coefficients vanish at negative lags. Square summability ensures mean-square convergence for a white-noise input; absolute summability is the stronger stable-filter convention. Causality refers to the particular driving sequence, not merely to stationary existence.
A causal time-series representation uses only the present and past driving white noise. Thus the coefficient condition is
The series must have its stated convergence meaning. For centered white noise of positive finite variance, is sufficient and necessary for mean-square convergence. In the usual stable-filter convention one imposes the stronger . A bilateral stationary linear process need not be causal: terms with involve future driving values.