Discrete-time signal ($x[n],n\in \mathbb{Z}$)

A discrete-time signal assigns a value to each of a discrete collection of times, often indexed by the integers. Regular sampling at rate $f_s$ gives $x[n]=x(n/f_s)$, so a sinusoid with normalized frequency $f$ cycles per sample has physical frequency $f{f}_s$. Discreteness of time does not itself require the amplitudes to be quantized; rounding the values is an additional operation. The Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem gives conditions for recovering a band-limited continuous signal from its samples.