Final answer:
The correct answer is C. Convolution refers to the mathematical process of combining two functions to produce a third function that represents how the shape of one is modified by the other. It is typically used in engineering and physics, such as in signal processing to determine the output signal resulting from a system's response to an input signal.
Step-by-step explanation:
The operation represented by y(t) = x(t) * h(t) is known as convolution, which is a mathematical way of combining two signals to form a third signal. It is a fundamental tool in many areas of engineering and physics and is particularly important in the field of signal processing.
Convolution is used to describe the mathematical process of combining two functions to produce a third function that expresses how the shape of one is modified by the other. The real-world applications of convolution include systems analysis and probability. For example, in signal processing, the function x(t) may represent an input signal, while h(t) represents the system's response to that signal, and y(t) is the output signal resulting from applying the input signal to the system.
In practical terms, to compute the convolution y(t) of two continuous functions x(t) and h(t), we would integrate the product of x(τ) and h(t-τ) over all possible values of τ. This integral represents the aggregate effect of the system's response h(t) to the input x(t) at every point in time. If the functions are discrete, the convolution is calculated through summing discrete elements instead of integrating.