5.

4 Solving Differential Equations with Laplace Transforms 327

where the last expression is the partial fraction expansion for X. Thus
1 2 1 −t 3 −t
x(t) = 5
cos t + 5
sin t − 5
e cos t − 5
e sin t.

Solving the second equation in system (35) for Y gives Y(s) = 2X(s) − 1∕(s2 + 1), so
y(t) = −1 {Y(s)} = 2−1 {X(s)} − sin t = 2x(t) − sin t, that is,
2 1 2 −t 6 −t
y(t) = 5
cos t − 5
sin t − 5
e cos t − 5
e sin t.

PROBLEMS
( ) ( )
In each of Problems 1 through 13, use the Laplace transform 0 6 5
′
to solve the given initial value problem: 17. y = y, y(0) =
′′ ′ ′
−6 0 4
1. y − 4y − 12y = 0; y(0) = 8, y (0) = 0 ( ) ( )
−4 −1 1
2. y′′ + 3y′ + 2y = t; y(0) = 1, y′ (0) = 0 18. y′ = y, y(0) =
1 −2 0
′′ ′ ′
3. y − 8y + 25y = 0; y(0) = 0, y (0) = 3 ( ) ( )
2 −64 0
4. y′′ − 4y′ + 4y = 0; y(0) = 1, y′ (0) = 1 19. y′ = y, y(0) =
1 −14 1
5. y′′ − 2y′ + 4y = 0; y(0) = 2, y′ (0) = 0
In each of Problems 20 through 24, use a computer algebra
′′ ′ −2t ′ system to assist in solving the given initial value problem by
6. y + 4y + 29y = e sin 5t; y(0) = 5, y (0) = −2
the method of Laplace transforms:
7. y′′ + 𝜔2 y = cos 2t, 𝜔2 ≠ 4; ( ) ( ) ( )
y(0) = 1, y′ (0) = 0 ′ −4 −1 2et 1
20. y = y+ , y(0) =
1 −2 sin 2t 2
8. y′′ − 2y′ + 2y = cos t; y(0) = 1, y′ (0) = 0
( ) ( ) ( )
9. y′′ − 2y′ + 2y = e−t ; y(0) = 0, y′ (0) = 1 5 −1 e−t −3
21. y′ = y+ , y(0) =
1 3 2et 2
10. y′′ + 2y′ + y = 18e−t ; y(0) = 7, y′ (0) = −2 ( ) ( ) ( )
′ −1 −5 3 1
11. y(4) − 4y′′′ + 6y′′ − 4y′ + y = 0; y(0) = 0, 22. y = y+ , y(0) =
y′ (0) = 1, y′′ (0) = 0, y′′′ (0) = 1 1 3 5 cos t −1
( ) ( ) ( )
12. y(4) − y = 0; y(0) = 1, y′ (0) = 0, −2 1 0 0
23. y′ = y+ , y(0) =
y′′ (0) = 1, y′′′ (0) = 0 1 −2 sin t 0
13. y(4) − 9y = 0; y(0) = 1, y′ (0) = 0, ⎛ 0 1 −1 ⎞ ⎛ 0 ⎞ ⎛1⎞
y′′ (0) = −3, y′′′ (0) = 0 ⎜ ′
⎟ ⎜ ⎟ ⎜ ⎟
24. y = ⎜ 1 0 1 ⎟ y + ⎜ −e−t ⎟ , y(0) = ⎜ 2 ⎟
In each of Problems 14 through 19, use the Laplace transform ⎜ ⎟ ⎜ t ⎟ ⎜ ⎟
to solve the given initial value problem: ⎝1 1 0⎠ ⎝ e ⎠ ⎝3⎠
( ) ( ) 25. Use the Laplace transform to solve the system
′ −5 1 1
14. y = y, y(0) =
−9 5 0 x′′ − y′′ + x − 4y = 0,
( ) ( ) x′ + y′ = cos t,
5 −2 1
15. y′ = y, y(0) =
6 −2 0 x(0) = 0, x′ (0) = 1, y(0) = 0, y′ (0) = 2.
( ) ( ) 26. A radioactive substance R1 having decay rate k1 disin-
4 −4 1 tegrates into a second radioactive substance R2 having de-
16. y′ = y, y(0) =
5 −4 0 cay rate k2 ≠ k1 . Substance R2 disintegrates into R3 , which is
328 Chapter 5 The Laplace Transform

stable. If mi (t) represents the mass of substance Ri at time t, Use the Laplace transform to solve this system under the
i = 1, 2, 3, the applicable equations are conditions
m′1 = −k1 m1 m1 (0) = m0 , m2 (0) = 0, m3 (0) = 0.
m′2 = k1 m1 − k2 m2
m′3 = k2 m2 .

5.5 Discontinuous Functions and Periodic

Functions
In Section 5.4 we presented the general procedure used to solve initial value problems by
means of the Laplace transform. Some of the most interesting elementary applications of
the transform method occur in the solution of linear differential equations with discontinu-
ous, periodic, or impulsive forcing functions. Equations of this type frequently arise in the
analysis of the flow of current in electric circuits or the vibrations of mechanical systems. In
this section and the following ones, we develop some additional properties of the Laplace
transform that are useful in the solution of such problems. Unless a specific statement is
made to the contrary, all functions appearing below are assumed to be piecewise continuous
and of exponential order, so that their Laplace transforms exist, at least for s sufficiently
large.

▶ T h e U n i t S t e p F u n c t i o n . To deal effectively with functions having jump discontinuities, it is very

helpful to introduce a function known as the unit step function or Heaviside function.
This function is defined by
{
0, t < 0,
u(t) = (1)
1, t ≥ 0.

In applications, the Heaviside function often represents a force, voltage, current, or signal
that is turned on at time t = 0, and left on thereafter. Translations of the Heaviside function
are used to turn such functions on at times other than 0. For a real number c, we define
{
0, t < c,
uc (t) = (2)
1, t ≥ c.

The graph of y = uc (t) is shown at the top of Figure 5.5.1. It is often necessary to turn
a signal or function on at time t = c and then turn it off at time t = d > c. This can be
accomplished by using an indicator function ucd (t) for the interval [c, d) defined by
{
0, t<c or t ≥ d,
ucd (t) = uc (t) − ud (t) = (3)
1, c ≤ t < d.

The graph of y = ucd (t) is shown at the bottom of Figure 5.5.1. Note that
u0d (t) = u0 (t) − ud (t) = 1 − ud (t) for t ≥ 0 has a negative step at t = d and is used to turn
off, at time t = d, a function that is initially turned on at t = 0.