CHAPTER 7

LAPLACE TRANSFORMS:
Laplace transform is a special type of linear
integral transform and its defined as
Laplace transform has many properties that make it
very useful in solving linear initial value problems
Definition: Let f be a function defined for
L f (t )

s t

t0

then the integra

f (t ) dt

is said to be the Laplace Transform of f , provided that the

integral converges

Laplace Transform for Some basic functions:

(1)
(2)
(3)

L1

Lt n

1
s

Le at

n!
s n 1
1
sa

n 1,2,3,

(4) Lsin kt s k
s
(5) Lcos kt s k
k
(6) Lsinh kt s k
s
(7) Lcosh kt s k
2

f(t)

Q.
(a)
(b)
(c)

Evaluate
4
0

f (t)

L f (t )

0 t2
t2

2t 1 0 t 1
t 1
0

f (t )

where
(c)

c
a

f (t ) t 2e 2t

Solution
(a) L f (t ) =
(b) L f (t ) =

st

e
0

st

4 st
4 dt 0dt
e
s
2

( 2t 1) dt 0dt
1

4 2s
(e
1)
s

1
2
(1 3e s ) 2 (1 e s )
s
s

0t a

f (t ) c
0

(c)

L f (t )

(d)

at b
tb
a

0 dt e
0

L f (t )

st

c dt 0dt
b

2 2 t st
t e e dt

c sa
(e e sb )
s
e ( s 2 ) t dt

1 2 ( s 2 )t
2
2

t e

te ( s 2 ) t
e ( s 2)t
s2
( s 2) 2
( s 2) 3

Q. Find L f (t ) where
a) f (t ) (2t 1)
b) f (t ) 4t 5 sin 3t
Sol:
a) L (2t 1) L 8t 12t 6t 1 8L t
3

b)

L f (t )

12L t 6L t L 1
2

3!
2!
1 1
12 3 6 2
4
s
s
s
s

L 4t 2 5 sin 3t )

4L t 2

5 L sin 3t

SECTION 7.2:
INVERSE TRANSFORMS

2
3
5 2
3
s
s 9

2
( s 2) 3

If

represents the Laplace transform of a function f (t )

, that is, L{ f (t )} F (s) , we then say f (t ) is the inverse
Laplace transform of F (s) and we write f (t ) L {F (s)}
F (s )

F(s)

f(t)

(t )

1
s

H (t )

tn
n!

s n1

(i.e. 1 for t > 0)

(for n = 1, 2, 3)

1
sa

e at

1
( s a ) n1
s
2
s 2

2
s 2
s
2
s a2
a
2
s a2

t n e at
n!
cos( t )

s
(s a 2 )2

t
sin( t )
2

2
(s 2 2 )2

1
(sin( t ) t cos( t ))
2

sin( t )

cosh(at )
sinh(at )

Inverse Laplace Transform for Some basic

functions
(1)
(3)

1 L1

sa

e at L1

(2)
(4)

n!

t n L1

n 1,2,3,

n 1
s

k
2
s k

sin kt L1

(5)
(7)

cosh kt L1

Q.

L1

s
s k2
s
2
s k2

cos kt L1

(6)

s 1

2
s 2

2
s k
2

s 1

2
( s 2)

L1

s
1

2
s 2

L1

sinh kt L1

1
1
4 6
1
5
L 4
s 8
s
s s

Q. Evaluate
Sol;
L1

s 2
2

1 4!
5
4s

L1

L cos kt

s 8

L1

s
s k2

sin

L sin kt

cos 2t

1 4
t e 8 t
4

k
s k2
2

2t
2

Summary Partial Fraction Expansions

Denominator
containing

Expression

Form of Partial Fractions

a. Linear factor

b. Repeated linear factors

c. Quadratic term
(which cannot be
factored)

Note: In each of the above cases f(x) must be of less degree than the relevant
denominator.

s 1
A
B
Example :

( s 2) ( s 3) s 2 s 3
A (s 3) B s 2
s 1

(s 2) (s 3)
(s 2) (s 3)

A B 1

Expand into a
term for
each factor
in the
denominator

3A 2B 1

s 1
1
2

(s 2) (s 3) s 2 s 3

Recombine
RHS

Equate terms in
s and
constant

2s 13
terms.
L

Q. Evaluate (s 3)(s 2)
Solve.
Sol. Using partial fraction decomposition, Y(s) can be rewritten:
Each term is in
a form so
that inverse
Laplace
transforms
can be
applied.
1

2s 13
A
B

s 3 s 2 s 3 s 2

2s 13 A s 2 B s 3
2s 13 (A B )s (2A 3B )
A B 2, 2A 3B 13
A 7, B 9

2s 13
7
9

s 3 s 2 s 3 s 2

y (t ) 9e

2t

7e

3t

LAPLACE TRANSFORM OF DERIVATIVE

AND SOLVING DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Note: (1) L( y) Y (s)

(2) L( y' ) sY (s) y(0)
(3) L( y' ' ) s Y (s) sy(0) y (0)
(4) L( y ) s Y (s) s y(0) sy (0) y (0)
(5) L( y ) s Y (s) s y(0) s y (0) ... y
2

(n)

n 1

n 2

( n 1)

(0)

Q. Using Laplace Transforms, solve

y 3 y 13sin 2t , y (0) 6
Sol.
L ( y ) 3L ( y ) 13L (sin 2t )
L( y ' ) sY ( s ) y (0)

and L {13sin 2t } 13

2
s2 4

2
sY y (0) 3Y 13 2
s 4
26
sY 6 3Y 2
s 4
26
Y (s 3) 6 2
s 4

26
Y (s 3) 2
6
s 4

26
6
6s 2 50
Y

2
(s 3)(s 4) s 3
(s 3)(s 2 4)

A
Bs C
6s 2 50

2
(s 3)(s 2 4) (s 3) (s 4)
6s 2 50 A (s 2 4) ( Bs C )(s 3)
6s 2 50 As 2 4A Bs 2 3Bs Cs 3C

6s 2 50 s 2 (A B ) s (3B C ) 3C 4A
A B 6
3B C 0
4A 3C 50

A 8
B 2
C 6

A
Bs C
8
2s 6
Y (s )
2

2
(s 3) (s 4) (s 3) (s 4)

8
s
1
1

2
L

3L
2
s 4
s 3

y (t ) 8L 1

s 2 4

y 8e 3t 2 cos 2t 3sin 2t
Q. Using Laplace Transforms, solve
y 9 y e t , y (0) 0, y(0) 0

Sol.

L( y 9 y ) L(e t )

L( y ) 9 L( y ) L(e t )

L( y ' ' ) s 2Y ( s ) sy (0) y (0) s 2Y ( s )

1
and L (e )
s 1
t

1
1 1
1
1
s

( 2
2
)
2
( s 1)( s 9) 10 s 1 10 s 9 s 9
1 1
1
1
s
1 t
1
1
e
sin 3t
cos 3t
L1 (
( 2
2
) y
10
30
10
10 s 1 10 s 9 s 9

Hence,
y=

s 2Y ( s ) 9Y ( s )

s 1

Y (s)

SECTION 7.3: TRANSLATION THEOREMS

First Translation Theorem

If

L{ f (t )} F ( s )

and a is any real number, then

L{e at f (t )} F ( s a )

Proof
L{e at f (t )}

st at
( s a )t
f (t ) dt F ( s a )
e e f (t )dt e

-----------------------------------------------------------------Note: For calculation we use the following symbolism

L{e at f (t )} L f (t )

ssa

F ( s a)

L1F ( s a ) e at L1{F ( s )}

Example 1 Evaluate

(a)

L{e5t t 3}

(a)

6
( s 5) 4

L{e 5t t 3}

(b)

Example 2 Evaluate
3
Le sin 3t
( s 1) 9

(b)

L{e 2t cos 4t}

s2
( s 2) 2 16
3
L sin 3t 2
s 9

L{e 2t cos 4t}

L e t sin 3t

Example 2 Evaluate

L1 (

2s 5
)
2
s 6 s 34

)=(

=
Example (3) Evaluate

2s 5
2
( s 3)

L1

2s 5
A
B
2
11

2
2
( s 3)
s 3 ( s 3)
s 3 ( s 3) 2

2s 5
1
1
1
2 L1
2e 3t 11e 3t t
11L
2
2
s 3
( s 3)
( s 3)

L1

Q. Solve :

s3
1
5

)
2
2
5 ( s 3) 2 5 2
( s 3) 5
1
2e 3t cos 5t e 3t sin 5t
5

L1 (2

y 4 y 4 y t 3 , y (0) 1, y(0) 0

Sol. Applying Laplace transform on both side, we get

L ( y ) 4 L( y ) 4 L( y ) = L(t )
[ s Y (s) - sy(0) y(0) ] -4[ sY (s) y(0) ] 4Y (s) 6 / s
[ s Y (s) - s ] -4[ sY (s) 1 ] 4Y (s) 6 / s
s 4s 6 3 1 9 1 3 2 1 3! 1 1
13
1
Y (s)

s ( s 2)
4s 8s
4s
4s
4 s 2 8 ( s 2) ,
Applying inverse Laplace transform, we get;
3

3 9
3
1
1
13
t t 2 t 3 e 2t te 2 t
4 8
4
4
4
8

The unit step function

U (t a )

is defined to be

0, 0 t a
ta
1,

U (t a )

e as
L{U (t a )}
s

and

Example: Evaluate L{ f (t )} where

Sol. L{ f (t )} 2L{1} 3L{U (t 2)} L{U (t 3)}
F ( s)

e as
U (t a )
s

L1

f (t ) 2 3U (t 2) U (t 3)

2
e 2 s e 3 s
3

s
s
s

Second Translation Theorem

If F (s) L{ f (t )} and a 0 , then
L{ f (t a )U (t a )} e as F ( s )

Note: For calculation we use the following symbolism

L{ f (t a )U (t a )} e as L{ f (t )} e as F ( s )

The Inverse form of theorem

L1{e as F ( s )} f (t a )U (t a )

Example (1) Evaluate

I.
II.

1
L{e U (t 2) e L{e } e
s4
4 (t 2)

2 s

L{cos 3(t

4t

2s

s
)U (t )} e 2
2
2
2
s 9

Alternative form of the second theorem

L{g (t )U (t a )} e as L{g (t a )}

Evaluate

L cos t U (t )

L{cos tU (t )} e s L{cos(t )} e s L{cos t}

e s

s
s 1
2

Evaluate

(1 e 2 s ) 2

s2

L1

(1 e 2 s ) 2
1
2e 2 s
e 4 s
1
2t
2(t 2)

U (t 2) e 2 ( t 4 )U (t 4)
L
e 2e
s

2
s

2
s

2
s

L1