PlanetMath (more info)
 Math for the people, by the people. Sponsor PlanetMath
Encyclopedia | Requests | Forums | Docs | Wiki | Random | RSS  
Login
create new user
name:
pass:
forget your password?
Main Menu
Viewing Version 20 of 'Laplace transform'
[ view 'Laplace transform' | back to history ]

Title of object: Laplace transform
Canonical Name: LaplaceTransform
Type: Definition

Created on: 2003-06-11 18:29:49
Modified on: 2008-05-07 13:22:54

Creator: rspuzio
Modifier: pahio
Author: pahio
Author: rspuzio
Author: tensorking

Classification: msc:44A10

Revision comment (for changes between this and next version):

typography

Preamble:

% this is the default PlanetMath preamble. as your knowledge
% of TeX increases, you will probably want to edit this, but
% it should be fine as is for beginners.

% almost certainly you want these
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsfonts}

% used for TeXing text within eps files
%\usepackage{psfrag}
% need this for including graphics (\includegraphics)
%\usepackage{graphicx}
% for neatly defining theorems and propositions
%\usepackage{amsthm}
% making logically defined graphics
%\usepackage{xypic}

% there are many more packages, add them here as you need them

% define commands here
Content:

Let $f(t)$ be a function defined on the interval $[0,\infty)$. The
\emph{Laplace transform} of $f(t)$ is the function $F(s)$ defined by

\[
F(s)\,=\,\int_{0}^{\infty}e^{-st} f(t)\,dt,
\]
provided that the integral converges. \footnote{Depending on the definition of
integral one is using, one may prefer to define the Laplace transform as
$\lim_{x \to 0+} \int_{x}^{\infty}e^{-st} f(t)\,dt$} It suffices that $f$ be defined when $t>0$ and $s$ can be complex. We will
usually denote the Laplace transform of $f$ by $\mathcal{L}\{f\}$. Some
of the most common Laplace transforms are:

\begin{enumerate}
\item $\mathcal{L}\{e^{at}\}\,=\,\frac{1}{s-a}\,,\,s>a$

\item $\mathcal{L}\{\cos(bt)\}\,=\,\frac{s}{s^{2}+b^{2}}\,,\,s>0$

\item $\mathcal{L}\{\sin(bt)\}\,=\,\frac{b}{s^{2}+b^{2}}\,,\,s>0$

\item $ \mathcal{L}\{t^{n}\}\,=\,\frac{\Gamma(n+1)}{s^{n+1}}\,,\,s>0, n>-1.$

\item $\mathcal{L}\{f'\} = s \mathcal{L}\{f\}-\lim_{x \to 0+}f(x)$

\end{enumerate}

Notice the Laplace transform is a linear transformation. It is worth noting that, if
$$\int_{0}^{\infty}e^{-st} |f(t)| \, dt < \infty$$
for some $s \in \mathbb{R}$, then $\mathcal{L}\{f\}$ is an analytic function in the complex half-plane $\{ z \mid \Re z > s \}$.

Much like the Fourier transform, the Laplace transform has a convolution. However, the form of the convolution used is different.
$$\mathcal{L}\{f*g\} = \mathcal{L}\{f\} \mathcal{L}\{g\}$$
where
$$(f*g) (t) = \int_0^t f(t-s) g(s) \, ds$$
and
$$\mathcal{L}\{fg\}(s) = \int_{c - i \infty}^{c + i \infty} \mathcal{L}\{f\}(z) \mathcal{L}\{g\}(s-z) \, dz$$

The most popular usage of the Laplace transform is to solve initial value problems by taking the Laplace transform of both sides of an ordinary differential equation.