INVERSE LAPLACE TRANSFORM

Topic Learning Objectives:

Upon Completion of this unit, students will be able to:

 Obtain inverse Laplace transform of rational functions.

 Solve ordinary linear differential equations

Definition
Let then f(t) is defined as the inverse Laplace transform of and is
denoted by Thus .

Linearity Property
Let and and and be any two constants,
Then

Table of Inverse Laplace Transforms

F(s) f (t )  L1{F ( s)}

1 1
,s0
s
1 e at
,sa
sa
s Cos at
,s0
s  a2
2

1 Sin at
,s0
s  a2
2
a
1 Sin h at
,s a
s  a2
2
a
s
,s a Cos h at
s  a2
2

1 tn
n 1
,s0
s n!
n = 0, 1, 2, 3, . . .
1 tn
n1
,s0
s n  1
n -1, -2, -3, …..

Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics

Examples
1. Find the inverse Laplace transforms of the following:

1 sb 2s  5 4s  9
(i ) (ii) 2 (iii) 2 
2s  5 s a 2
4s  25 9  s 2
Solution:
 
 1  1 1  1  1 2
5t
(i) L1    L    e
 2s  5  2  s  5  2
 2
 sb   s   1  b
(ii) L1  2 2
 L1  2 2
 b L1  2 2
 cos at  sin at
s  a  s  a  s  a  a

 
    5  s  9 
2  4 L1  2
 2 s 5 4 s 8  2 s
(iii) L1  2  2
 L1
   
 4s  25 9  s  4  s 2  25   s  9 
2

 4 

1 5t 5t   3 
  cos  sin   4cos h3t  sin h3t 
2 2 2  2 

Shifting property [Evaluation of

If , then

Examples:
 3s  1 
1. Evaluate : L1  4
.
 ( s  1) 
Solution:

 3s  1 -1  1 1  1   1 
L-1  3L  3
 2 L1  4
 s  1   s  1   s  1 
4

1 1
 3e t L1  3   2e t L1  4 
s  s 
Using the formula
1 1 tn
L { n1 }  and taking n  2 and 3, we get
s n!
3e t t 2 e t t 3
  .
2 3

 s2 
2. Evaluate : L-1  2 .
 s -2s  5 

Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics

Solution:
 s2  1  s  1  3  1  s 1  1  1 
Given  L-1    L  L    3L  
 s  1  4   s  1  4   s  1  4   s  1  4 
2 2 2 2

 s  1  1 
 et L-1  2 3e L  2
t

s  4 s  4

3 t
 et cos 2t  e sin 2t
2

 2s  1 
3. Evaluate : L1  2 .
 s  3s  1
Solution:

Given  2L  -1  
 s  3 1  

 
 1 
2 L 
s  32  

 1 
L 

1


  
2

 2

 s  2  5 4 
3   s 3 5 
  2
2

4
 

 2

s  32  5 
4 

 3t   3t  1 
 s  1  
 2e 2 L1  2   e 2 L  2 5 
  s  4 
5  s  4 


3t
 5 2 5 
 2e 2
cos h t sin h t .
 2 5 2 

 2s 2  5s  4 
1
4. Evaluate : L  3 2 .
 s  s  2s 
Solution:

2 s 2  5s  4 2 s 2  5s  4 2 s 2  5s  4 A B C
 2    
We have
 
s  s  2s s s  s  2 ss  2s  1 s s  2 s  1
3 2
-------- (1)
2
Then 2s +5s-4 = A(s+2) (s-1) + B s (s-1) + Cs (s+2)

For for and for

Using these values in (1),

-1  2s  5s  4  1  2  1  1  1  1 
2
2t
  L   L   L   2e e
t
L  3
 s  s  2s  s s  2  s  1
2

5. Use the method of partial fractions to find the time signals corresponding to the Laplace
transform function

Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics

 4s  5
F ( s) 
s  12  s  2
Solution:

Consider
4s  5 A B C
  
s  1  s  2 s  1 s  1 s  2
2 2

Then 4s + 5 =A(s + 2) + B(s + 1) (s + 2) + C (s + 1)2

For for
Comparing the coefficients of s2 to get so that .
Using these values in (1) to get

4s  5 1 3 3
  
s  1  s  2 s  1 s  1 s  2
2 2

Hence
 4s  5  t 1  1  t 1  1  2t 1  1 
L1    e L  2   3e L    3e L  
 s  1  s  2 s  s  s 
2

 tet  3et  3e2t

 s3 
1
5. Evaluate : L  4 4
.
s  a 
Solution:
s3 A B Cs  D
Let 4    2  (1)
s a 4
s  a s  a s  a2

Hence, –
For for s = -a, B = ¼, comparing the constant terms to get
D =a, (A-B) = 0,
Comparing the coefficients of to get and so
Using these values in (1),
s3 1 1 1  1 s
    
s a
4 4
4  s  a s  a  2 s  a2
2

Taking inverse transforms,

 s 3  1 at
L1  4 4
 1

 e  e at  cos at  cos hat  cos at 
1
s  a  4 2 2
 s 
6. Evaluate : L1  4 .
 s  s  1
2

Solution:
Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics
 s s 1 2s 
 2   2
Consider,
   
s  s  1 s  s  1  s  s  1 2  s  s  1 s  s  1 
4 2 2 2
  

  
1  s2  s  1  s2  s  1  1 
  2
1
 2

1 
   
2  s  s 1 s  s 1  2  s  s 1
2 2
s  s  1     
 
1 1 1 
  
3


2 s1 2  3
2
4

s  12  
2

4
 
Therefore
    
   1 
  1  2 1  1 
t t
s 
1
L  4   e L  e 2L 
1

 s  s  1 2   s2  3   s 2  3 
2
   
  4  4 
 3 3 
1  2t
sin t 
t sin t
 e 2 e 2 2 
2 3 3 

 2 2 

2  3  t
 sin  t  sin h 
3  2  2

Inverse transform of logarithmic and trigonometric functions

If then [ ]
In general, [ ]

Examples
  s  a 
1. Evaluate L1 log  .
  s  b 
sa
Let F(s)  log    log s  a   log s  b 
 sb 
 1 1 
Then  F s    
d

ds  s  a s  b 
 d 
L1  F s    e at  e bt  
 ds 
e bt  e  at
Or t f t   e bt  e  at . Thus f t   .
b
Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics
2. Evaluate L1 tan 1 a .
 s
a
Let F(s)  tan 1  
s
 a   d 
Then  F s    2 or L1  F s   sin at
d
2
so that
ds s  a   ds 
or t f t   sin at , f t  
sin at
.
a

Inverse transform of
F s   F s 
t t
Since L  f t dt  , we have L1    f t dt
0
s  s   0

Examples
 1 
1. Evaluate L1  2
 2 
s s  a 
.

Solution:
Let F s   so that f(t)  L1 F s  
1 sin at
s a 2
2
a
 F s   1  cos at 
t
1 sin at
Then L1   L1   dt 
s s a
2
 2
 s  0 a a2
 
L 1 
1
2. .
 s 2 s  a 2 

 1  
L 1   te  at
 s  a  
 2


 
 t  at
L 1
1
 e
2 
t dt
 ss  a  
  0
1  e  at 1  at 
1 

2  
a

 
 1 t
Now L-1
1  at 1  at  dt
  2  1  e 

 s s  a  
 2 2
 a 0
1  
=  at 1  e  at   2 e  at  1 .
a3     

Inverse Laplace transform of F(s) using Convolution theorem

Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics

If and , then
∫

This expression is called the convolution theorem for inverse Laplace transform.

Examples:

Employ convolution theorem to evaluate the following:

 1 
1. L1  .
 s  a s  b  
Solution:
1 1
Let F(s)  , G(s) 
sa sb
Taking inverse transform, we get f(t)  e-at , g(t)  e-bt
By convolution theorem,
 1  t a t u  bu t
L-1    e e du  e at  e ab u du
 s  a s  b  0 0
a b t
e  1 e bt
 e at
 e at    .
 a b  a b
 s 
2. L1  2
.

 s  a 2
2
 

Solution:
1 s sin at
Let F(s)  , G (s)  2 , then f(t)  , g(t)  cos at
s a
2 2
s a 2
a
By convolution theorem,
  t 1
  sin at  u  cos au du
s
L-1  2
 
 s 2  a 2  0 a
1 sin at  sin at  2au 
t
  du,
a0 2
cosat  2au  t sin at
t
1 
 u sin at    2a .
2a   2a 0

 s 
L1 
(3)

 s  1 s  1 
2 .

Solution:
1 s
Let F(s)  , G(s)  2
s 1 s 1
Then

Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics

 t e 
u
  t t u
L-1 
1
 
   sin u  cos u 

 s  1 s  1  0
2
 e sin u du e 
 2 

   
t
 e t  sin t  cos t    1  et  sin t  cos t
e 1
2 2

Exercise:

By employing convolution theorem evaluate the following:

 1   s 
1. L1  4. L1  2 , a  b.
 .
 s  1 s  1 
2
  s a s b 
2 2 2 
  
 s   1 
2. L1  5. L1  2
2
 .
 s  2  s  9    s s  2 2

.

 1   4s  5 
3. L1  2
. 6. L1  .

 s  a 2
2
   s  1 s  2
2

Answers:
1 1 1
(ii) ( 2 cos 3t  3 sin 3t  2e 2t ) (iii) ( sin at  at cos at ) (iv) ( cos bt  cos at )
13 2a 3 a  b2
2

1
(v) ( e 2t (t  1)  t  1)
4

Laplace Transform Method for Differential equations

As noted earlier Laplace transform technique is employed to solve initial-value problems. The
solution of such a problem is obtained by using the Laplace Transform of the derivatives of
function and then the inverse Laplace Transform.

The following are the expressions for the derivatives derived earlier.
L[f (t)]  s L f(t) - f(0)
L[f (t)  s 2 L f(t) - s f(0) - f (0)
L [f (t)  s 3 L f(t) - s 2 f(0) - s f (0) - f (0)

Examples

1. y  2 y  3 y  sin t , y(0)  y(0)  0

Solution:

Taking the Laplace transform of the given equation,

Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics

s 2

Ly (t )  sy (o)  y (o)  2s Ly (t )  y (o)  3 L y (t ) 
1
s 1
2

Using the given conditions, to get

sL yt   yo  L yt   1 2
s  1
Using the given condition, this becomes
2s 2  4s  3
s  1L yt   2  1
so that L yt  
s  12 s  13
Taking the inverse Laplace transform, we get
2s 2  4s  3
Ys   L1
s  13
 2s  1  12  4s  1  1  3 
1
L  
 s  13 
 2 1  1 t 2
 L1   3
 e t 4  
 s  1 s  1  2

L [y(t)] s 2  2s  3  2
1
s 1
 or L [y(t)] 
1

s  1s  3 s 2  1
or

 1   A B Cs  D 
y(t)  L1   L1    2

 s  1s  3 s  1 
2
 
 s  1 s  3 s  1 
 s 1
   
1 1 1 1
 L1    10 5 ( method of partial fractions)

 8 s  1 40 s  3 s 1 
2

 
 e t  e 3t  cos t  2 sin t .
1 1 1
8 40 10
2. Employ Laplace Transform method to solve the integral equation.
t
f(t)  l   f u sin t  u du
0
Solution:

Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics

Taking Laplace transform of the given equation, we get
t
L f(t)   L  f u sin t  u du
1
s 0

By using convolutio n theorem here .

1 1 L f(t)
L f(t)   Lf(t)  L sin t   2 Thus
s s s 1
s2  1 1  s  1 
2
t2
L f(t)  3 or f(t)  L  3   1  .
s  s  2

d2x dx
3. A particle is moving along a path satisfying, the equation 2
 6  25 x  0 where
dt dt
x denotes the displaceme nt of the particle at time t. If the initial position of the particle is at x  20
and the initial speed is 10, find the displaceme nt of the particle at any time t using Laplace transforms.

Solution:

Given equation may be rewritten as

x' ' (t)  6x' (t)  25x(t)  0
Here the initial conditions are x(o)  20, x' (o)  10.
Taking the Laplace transform of the equation, we get

 
Lx(t) s 2  6s  25  20 s  130  0 or Lx(t) 
20 s  130
s 2  6 s  25
so that
 20 s  130  1  20s  3  70 
x(t)  L1   L  
 s  3  16   s  3  16 
2 2

s3 1
 20 L1  70 L1
s  3  16
2
s  32  16
3t e 3t sin 4t
 20 e cos 4t  35 .
2

4. A voltage Ee -at is applied at t  0 to a circuit of inductance L and resistance R. Show that the
E  at 
Rt

current at any time t is  e  e L
.
R - aL  
Solution:

The circuit is an LR circuit. The differential equation with respect to the circuit is
di
L  Ri  E (t )
dt
Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics
Here, L denotes the inductance, i denotes current at any time t and E(t) denotes the E.M.F.
It is given that E(t) = E e-at. With this, we have
Thus, we have
di
L  Ri  Ee  at or Li' (t )  R i (t )  Ee  at
dt
Taking Laplace transformon both sides to get

 
LL i' (t)  RL i(t)  E L e  at

Ls L i (t )  i (o)  RL i (t )  E

1
sa
L i (t )sL  R  
E
Since i(o)  o, or
sa
L i (t ) 
E
s  a   sL  R 
 
Taking inverse transform L-1 i (t )  L-1 
E

 ( s  a)(sL  R) 
E  -1  1  -1  1 
  L   L L  
R  aL   s  a   sL  R 
E  at  
Rt
Thus i(t)  e  e L
.
R  aL  

5. Mass spring damper system can be modeled using Newton’s and Hooke’s law. The differential
d2x dx
equation representing this system is 2
 6  25 x  4 sin t with initial conditions
dt dt
x(0)  x'(0)  0 .
Solution:

Given equation may be rewritten as

x' ' (t)  6x' (t)  25x(t)  4 sint
Here the initial conditions are x(0)  20, x' (0)  10.
Taking the Laplace transform of the equation, we get


Lx(t) s 2  6s  25  2  4ω
s ω 2
or Lx(t)  2
4ω
(s  ω )(s2  6s  25)
2

Onresolvin g into partial fractions (with ω  2) leads to

 8   As  B Cs  D 
x(t)  L1  2   L1  2  2
 (s  4)(s  6s  25) 
2
 s 4 s  6s  25 



4
195 195

7 sin 2t  4 cos 2t   2 e3t ( 8 cos 4t  sin 4t ) . 
Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics
Exercise:
Employ Laplace transform method to solve the following initial value problems.
(i) y  5 y  6 y  e 2t , y(0)  y(0)  1
(ii) y  2 y  y  2 y  0, y(0)  1, y(0)  2  y(0)
(iii) y  2 y  5 y  e t sin t , y(0)  0, y(0)  1.

Answers:
1  2 t 5 t 1
(i) 3e 2t  2e 3t  te 2t (ii) e  e  e t (iii) e t (sin t  sin 2t )
3 3 3

Video links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MXMDrs6ZmA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnnnv4wt-Lw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-zd-T17uiE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7nzLD3t4Uc

Third Semester MAT231BT Department of Mathematics