Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering : A Comprehensive Guide

(Darren Dugan) #1

INTEGRAL TRANSFORMS


Find the Laplace transform ofd^2 f/dt^2.

Using the definition of the Laplace transform and integrating by parts we obtain


L

[


d^2 f
dt^2

]


=


∫∞


0

d^2 f
dt^2

e−stdt

=


[


df
dt

e−st

]∞


0

+s

∫∞


0

df
dt

e−stdt

=−


df
dt

(0) +s[sf ̄(s)−f(0)], fors> 0 ,

where (13.57) has been substituted for the integral. This can be written more neatly as


L

[


d^2 f
dt^2

]


=s^2 f ̄(s)−sf(0)−

df
dt

(0), fors> 0 .

In general the Laplace transform of thenth derivative is given by

L

[
dnf
dtn

]
=snf ̄−sn−^1 f(0)−sn−^2

df
dt

(0)−···−

dn−^1 f
dtn−^1

(0), fors> 0.
(13.58)

We now turn to integration, which is much more straightforward. From the

definition (13.53),


L

[∫t

0

f(u)du

]
=

∫∞

0

dt e−st

∫t

0

f(u)du

=

[

1
s

e−st

∫t

0

f(u)du

]∞

0

+

∫∞

0

1
s

e−stf(t)dt.

The first term on the RHS vanishes at both limits, and so


L

[∫t

0

f(u)du

]
=

1
s

L[f]. (13.59)

13.2.2 Other properties of Laplace transforms

From table 13.1 it will be apparent that multiplying a functionf(t)byeathas the


effect on its transform thatsis replaced bys−a. This is easily proved generally:


L

[
eatf(t)

]
=

∫∞

0

f(t)eate−stdt

=

∫∞

0

f(t)e−(s−a)tdt

=f ̄(s−a). (13.60)

As it were, multiplyingf(t)byeatmoves the origin ofsby an amounta.

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