Laplace Transforms: Lecture 8

Dr Jagan Mohan Jonnalagadda

More About Convolutions, The Unit Step and Impulse Function:
Consider an initial value problem
y  ay  by  f (t), y(0)  0, y(0)  0,

describing a mechanical or electrical system at rest in its equilibrium position.

Here f(t) is the given input (driving force) applied to the mechanical or electrical system, y(t)
is the output (response to the input) to be obtained, a and b are constants. The input f(t) can be
thought of as an impressed external force F or electromotive force E that begins to act at time
t = 0.
Case 1: When this input is the unit step function u(t), the solution (or output) y(t) is denoted
by A(t) and called the indicial response; that is,
A  aA  bA  u(t), A(0)  0, A(0)  0.
Let L[A(t)] = A(p). Then, we have

L  A(t )  pA( p)  A(0)  pA( p),

L  A(t )  p 2 A( p)  pA(0)  A(0)  p 2 A( p),
1
L u(t )  .
p

Consider the differential equation A  aA  bA  u(t). Applying Laplace transforms on both
sides, we have

L  A  aL  A  bL  A   L u(t )

1
 p 2 A( p)  apA( p)  bA( p) 
p

 
 p 2  ap  b A( p) 
1
 A( p) 
1

1
, where z( p)  p 2  ap  b.
p 
p p  ap  b
2
pz
( p )

Let L[y(t)] = Y(p) and L  f (t)  F( p) . Then, we have

L  y(t )   pY ( p)  y(0)  pY ( p),

L  y(t )   p 2Y ( p)  py(0)  y(0)  p 2Y ( p).

Consider the differential equation y  ay  by  f (t ). Applying Laplace transforms on both
sides, we have
L  y  aL  y  bL  y   L  f (t )
 p 2Y( p)  apY( p)  bY( p)  F( p)
 
 p 2  ap  b Y( p)  F( p)
F ( p)  1 
 Y ( p)   p  F( p)  pA( p)F( p).
z( p)  pZ( p) 
Applying inverse Laplace transforms on both sides, we get

y(t )  L1 Y ( p)   L1  pA( p)F( p)  .

t
We know that L1  A( p)F( p)    A  f  (t )   A(t  x) f ( x)dx.
0

 A  f  (t )  , where  A  f  (0)  0.
d
Then, y(t )  L1  pA( p)F( p)  
dt 
d  
t
Consider y(t )    A(t  x) f ( x)dx 
dt  0 
t
  A(t  x) f ( x)dx  A(0) f (t )
0
t
  A(t  x ) f ( x )dx. (A)
0

Here we used A(0)  0.

t
Also, consider y(t )   A(t  x) f ( x)dx
0
t
x t
 A(t  x ) f ( x ) x 0   A(t  x ) f ( x)dx
 
0
t
  A(t  x ) f ( x )dx  A(t ) f (0)  A(0) f (t )
0
t
  A(t  x ) f ( x )dx  A(t ) f (0). (B)
0

Example: Solve the following differential equation by (A) or (B).

y  y  et , y(0)  y(0)  0.

Solution: Here a = 0, b = 1 and f(t) = et. We have

 1 1
We have z( p)  p 2  1. So, A( p)   .
pz( p) p( p  1)
2

 1 
Then, A(t )  L1  A( p)  L1    1  cos t.
 p( p  1) 
2

Therefore, from (A),

t
y(t )   A(t  x) f ( x)dx  A(t ) f (0)
0
t
 e   sin t  cos t   .
1 t
  [1  cos(t  x)]e x dx  [1  cos t ] 
0
2 

Case 2: When this input is the unit impulse function δ(t), the solution (or output) y(t) is
denoted by h(t); that is,
h  ah  bh   (t), h(0)  0, h(0)  0.
Let L[h(t)] = H(p). Then, we have

L  h(t )   pH( p)  h(0)  pH( p),

L  h(t )  p 2 H ( p)  ph(0)  h(0)  p 2 H( p),
L  (t )  1.

Consider the differential equation h  ah  bh   (t). Applying Laplace transforms on both
sides, we have

L  h  aL  h  bL  h   L  (t )

 p 2 H( p)  apH( p)  bH ( p)  1

 
 p 2  ap  b H ( p)  1  H ( p) 
1

1
, where z( p)  p 2  ap  b.
p 2
 ap  b  z( p)

Let L[y(t)] = Y(p) and L  f (t)  F( p) . Then, we have

L  y(t )   pY ( p)  y(0)  pY ( p),

L  y(t )   p 2Y ( p)  py(0)  y(0)  p 2Y ( p).

Consider the differential equation y  ay  by  f (t ). Applying Laplace transforms on both
sides, we have

L  y  aL  y  bL  y   L  f (t )

 p 2Y ( p)  apY ( p)  bY ( p)  F( p)
 
 p 2  ap  b Y ( p)  F( p)
F ( p)
 Y ( p)   F( p)H ( p).
z( p)
Applying inverse Laplace transforms on both sides, we get
t
y(t )  L Y( p)  L  H( p)F( p)   h  f  (t )   h(t  x) f ( x)dx.
1 1
(C)
0

Example: Solve the following differential equation by (C). y  y  et , y(0)  y(0)  0.

Solution: Here a = 0, b = 1 and f(t) = et. We have

1 1
We have z( p)  p 2  1. So, H ( p)   .
z( p) p( p  1)
2

 1 
Then, h(t )  L1  H( p)  L1  2   sin t.
 ( p  1) 
Therefore, from (C),
t
y(t )   H(t  x) f ( x)dx
0
t
 e   sin t  cos t   .
1 t
  sin(t  x)e x dx 
0
2 