Appendix A UNIT IMPULSE FUNCTION AND UNIT STEP FUNCTION Consider the function, fx: a), where f,(e; a), as shown in Figure A.1 is defined by A nec esa 2 a a fid=VE an Ssxsatt a © bl- © A aticxcu 2 ‘The function has the property [ioe asm ws Taking the limi of f(x; a) as A 0 yields im, A) = 80 — a = { ue (a3) From Equation (A.2) [s-ade=1 (aa) on) 4 | | 1 Tat asd 2 3 3G826 APPENDIX A. wma) The unit step function u(x ~ a). ‘The function defined in Equation (A.3) and whose valuable property is given Equation (A) is called the unit impulse function. Ic has many applications in physics and ‘engineering, It is used to mathematically represent the force that is applied to cause a unit impulse applied ata time t = a in a mechanical system. Ici used to represent a unit con- centrated load applied at a location x = a to a structure. The unit impulse function, also talled the Dirac delta function, is used to represent a unit heat source in a heat transfer problem, Now define 0 xs wen am [ee ade~ [im je ade {4 at (As) “The function defined in Equation (A.5) is called the unit step function and is illustrate Figure A.2, Differentiating Equation (A.5) gives de Fle a = Ble a) (a6) ‘The definitions of the unit impulse function and unit step function can also be used to derive the following integral formulas. For any function ¢(@), [ Br — alglaidr = ule dela) (a7) and [ ule = ag(s)dr = ake — a) [ (ahr (as)