A block diagram is a visual representation of a system. It uses blocks to represent system components and arrows to show the flow of signals or information between these components.
Compared to difference equations or differential equations, which are declarative descriptions of a system, a block diagram is more imperative and operational in nature. Block diagrams can often be more directly translated into a hardware or software implementation.
Operator Notation
We can use the operator notation to model a system. This preserves the block diagram’s imperative nature while being more concise. For example, let
The above diagram can be represented as