Engineering Mathematical Analysis 1

Laplace Transformation

Translation on the t-axis:

UNIT STEP FUNCTION: In engineering, one frequently encounters functions that are either
“off ” or “on.” For example, an external force acting on a mechanical system or a voltage
impressed on a circuit can be turned off after a period of time. It is convenient, then, to define
a special function that is the number 0 (off ) up to a certain time t = a and then the number 1
(on) after that time. This function is called the unit step function or the Heaviside function.

Definition: Unit Step Function

The unit step function u (t - a) is defined to be:
ì0
ï 0£t <a
u (t - a) = ï
í
ï
î1
ï t ³a

Notice that we define u (t - a) only on the nonnegative t-axis, since this is all that
we are concerned with in the study of the Laplace transform. In a broader sense
u (t - a) = 0 for t < a . The graph of u (t - a) is given in Figure (1).

Figure (1): Graph of unit step function

When a function f defined for t ³ 0 is multiplied by u (t - a) , the unit step function “turns
off ” a portion of the graph of that function. For example, consider the function f (t ) = 2t - 3 .
To “turn off ” the portion of the graph of f for 0 £ t < 1 , we simply form the product the
product (2t - 3) u (t -1) . See Figure 2. In general, the graph of f (t ) u (t - a) is 0 (off ) for
0 £ t < a and is the portion of the graph of f (on) for t ³ a .

© Dr. Saad K. Essa

Engineering Mathematical Analysis 2

Figure (2): Function is f (t ) = (2t - 3) u (t -1)

The unit step function can also be used to write piecewise-defined functions in a compact form.
For example, if we consider 0 £ t < 2, 2 £ t < 3 and t ³ 3 and the corresponding values of
u (t - 2) and u (t - 3) , it should be apparent that the piecewise defined function shown in Figure
(3) is the same as f (t ) = 2 - 3 u (t - 2) + u (t - 3) . Also, a general piecewise defined function
of the type:

ì g (t )
ï 0£t <a
f (t ) = ïí
ï
î h(t )
ï t ³a

Is the same as:

f (t ) = g (t ) - g (t ) u (t - a ) + h(t ) u (t - a )

ìï 0 0£t <a
ïï
Similarly, a function of the type: f (t ) = í g (t ) a£t <b
ïï
ïïî 0 t ³b

Figure (3): Function is: f (t ) = 2 - 3 u (t - 2) + u (t - 3)

Can be written: f (t ) = g (t )[u (t - a ) - u (t - b)]

© Dr. Saad K. Essa

Engineering Mathematical Analysis 3

Example:
ìï20t 0£t <5
Express f (t ) = ïí in terms of unit step functions. Graph
ïïî 0 t ³5

Solution:
The graph of f is given in Figure (4) and from the definitions:

f (t ) = 20t - 20t u (t - 5)

Figure (4): Function is: f (t ) = 20t - 20t u (t - 5)

Second Translation Theorem or second shifting theorem

Consider a general function y = f (t ) defined for t ³ 0 . The piecewise defined function:

ì 0
ï 0£t <a
f (t - a) u (t - a) = ï
í
ï
î f (t - a)
ï t ³a

As shown in Figure (5) for a > 0 the graph of the function y = f (t - a) u (t - a) coincides
with the graph of y = f (t - a) , t ³ a

Figure (5): Shift on t - axis

© Dr. Saad K. Essa

Engineering Mathematical Analysis 4

Theorem: Second Translation Theorem

F ( s ) =  { f (t )} , a > 0, then

 { f (t - a ) u ( t - a )} = e - a s F ( s )

Note:

e-a s
 {u (t - a)} =
s

ì 1 -2 s üï ì s ü
Example: Evaluate (a) -1 ï
í e ý (b) -1 ï
í 2 e-ps /2 ïý
ïîï s - 4 ïþï ïîï s + 9 ïþï

Solution:

ïì 1 -2 s ïü
(a) -1 í e ý = e 4( t-2) u (t - 2)
îïï s - 4 þïï
ïì s ïü p p
(b) -1 í 2 e-ps /2 ý = cos 3(t - ) u (t - )
ïîï s + 9 ïþï 2 2

Example:

Solution:

Example:

Solution:

© Dr. Saad K. Essa

Engineering Mathematical Analysis 5

Beams: The static deflection y (t ) of a uniform beam of length L carrying load w( x) per unit
length is found from the linear fourth-order differential equation:
d4y
EI = w( x)  (
dx 4
where E is Young’s modulus of elasticity and I is a moment of inertia of a cross section
of the beam.

Example:

A beam of length L is embedded at both ends, as shown in Figure (6). Find the deflection of
the beam when the load is given by:

ïìï æç 2 ö÷
ï w ç1- x÷ 0< x< L 2
w( x) = í 0 çè L ÷ø
ïï
ïïî 0 L 2< x< L

Figure (6): Embedded

beam with variable load

Solution:

© Dr. Saad K. Essa

Engineering Mathematical Analysis 6

Because the beam is embedded at both ends, the boundary conditions are
y (0) = 0, y ¢(0) = 0, y ( L) = 0, y ¢( L) = 0 . We can express w( x) in terms of the unit step
function:

æ 2 ö æ 2 ö æ Lö
w( x) = w0 çç1- x÷÷÷ - w0 çç1- x÷÷÷ u çç x - ÷÷÷
çè L ø çè L ø çè 2ø
2 w0 éL æ Lö æ L öù
= ê - x + çç x - ÷÷ u çç x - ÷÷ú
L êë 2 ç
è ÷
2ø è ç 2 ÷øúû

Transforming () with respect to variable x gives:

2 w0 éL/ 2 1 1 ù
EI ( s 4 - s 3 y (0) - s 2 y ¢(0) - sy ¢¢(0) - y ¢¢¢(0)) = ê - 2 + 2 e- Ls /2 ú
L êë s s s úû

2 w0 é L / 2 1 1 ù
Or s 4 Y ( s ) - sy ¢¢(0) - y ¢¢¢(0) = ê - 2 + 2 e- Ls /2 ú
EI L ëê s s s ûú

If we let c1 = y ¢¢(0) and c2 = y ¢¢¢(0) , then

c1 c2 2 w0 é L / 2 1 1 ù
Y ( s) = + 4+ ê 5 - 6 + 6 e- Ls /2 ú
s 3
s EI L êë s s s úû

and consequently

c1 -1 ì ü c
ï 2!ï ü 2 w é L / 2 -1 ïì 4!ïü 1 -1 ïì 5!ïü 1 -1 ïì 5! -Ls /2 ïüù
ì 3! ï
ï
y ( x) =  í 3 ý + 2 -1 í 4 ý + 0 ê  í 5 ý-  í 6 ý +  í 6 e ýúú
2! ï
ïs ï
î ï 3!
þ ï
ïs ï
î ï EIL êë 4!
þ ïîï s ïþï 5! ïîï s ïþï 5! ïîï s ïþïû
w0 éê 5 L 4 æ ö æ öù
5
c1 2 c2 3 çç x - L ÷÷ u çç x - L ÷÷ú
= x + x + x - x 5
+
2 6 60 EIL êêë 2 çè 2 ÷ø çè 2 ÷øúúû

Applying the conditions y ( L) = 0 and y ¢( L) = 0 to the last result yields a system of equations
for c1 and c2 :

L2 L3 49 w0 L4
c1 + c2 + =0
2 6 1920 EI
2 3
 c1 = 23w0 L2 (960 EI ) , c2 = -9 w0 L (40 EI )
L 85w0 L
c1 L + c2 + =0
2 960 EI

w0 éê 5L 4 æ ö æ öù
5
23w0 L2 2 3w0 L 3 çç x - L ÷÷ u çç x - L ÷÷ú
y ( x) = x - x + x - x 5
+
1920 EI 80 EI 60 EIL êêë 2 èç 2 ø÷ èç 2 ø÷úúû

© Dr. Saad K. Essa