LAPLACE TRANSFORM

Cortez,

Vanessa
Maravilla, Ron
Mendoza, Jeffrey

Introduction

The transform method is used to solve

certain problems, that are difficult to solve
directly.

In this method the original problems is first

transformed and solved.

Laplace transform is one of the tools for

solving ordinary linear differential equations.

Transforms -- a mathematical conversion from

one way of thinking to another to make a
problem easier to solve

problem
in original
way of
thinking
transform

solution
in transform
way of
thinking

inverse
transform

solution
in original
way of
thinking

problem
in time
domain

Laplace
transform

Other transforms
Fourier
z-transform
wavelets

solution
in
s domain

inverse
Laplace
transform

solution
in time
domain

The Laplace transform is defined as below:

Let f(t) be a real function of a real variable t
defined for t>0, then

F(s) L f(t) f (t).e -st dt

0

Where F(s) is called Laplace transform of f(t). And

the variable s which appears in F(s) is frequency
dependent complex variable
It is given by,
s j
where

= Real part of complex variable s

= Imaginary part of complex variable s

Example 1

Find the Laplace transform of e-at and 1 for t

0

Find the Laplace transform of e-at and 1 for t 0

Solution : i) f(t) = e-at

ii) f(t) = 1

Example 2

Find the Laplace transform of sin t

Find the Laplace transform of sin t

Table of Laplace Transforms:

Table 1 : Standard Laplace Transform pairs

f(t)

F(s)

1/s

Constant K

K/s

K f(t), K is constant

K F(s)

1/s2

tn

n/sn+1

e-at

1/s+a

eat

1/s-a

e-at tn

n/((s+a)n+1 )

sin t

/(s2 + 2)

cos t

s/(s2 + 2)

e-at sin t

/((s+a)2 + 2)

Table 1 Contd.
f(t)

F(s)

e-at cos t

(s+a)/((s+a)2 + 2)

sinh t

/(s2 - 2)

cosh t

s/(s2 - 2)

t e-at

1/(s+a)2

1 - e-at

a/s(s+a)

MAR JKE

Inverse Laplace
Transform

Let F(s) is the Laplace transform of f(t) then the

inverse Laplace transform is denoted as,
f(t) L-1 F(s)

The F(s), in partial fraction method, is written in the

form as,
N(s)
F(s)
D(s)

Where

N(s) = Numerator polynomial in s

D(s) = Denominator polynomial in s
MAR JKE

Simple and Real Roots

The roots of D(s) are simple and real

The function F(s) can be expressed as,
F(s)

N(s)
N(s)

D(s) (s - a)(s - b)(s - c)...

where a, b, c are the simple and real

roots of D(s).

The degree of N(s) should be always less

than D(s)

F(s)

K3
N(s)
K1
K2

....
(s - a)(s - b)(s - c)... (s - a) (s - b) (s - c)

This can be further expressed as,

K1 (s - a). F(s) s a
K 2 (s - b). F(s) s b
K 3 (s - c). F(s) s c

where K1, K2, K3 are called partial

fraction coefficients
The values of K1, K2, K3 can be
obtained as,

In general,

and so on

Where sn = nth root of D(s)

K n (s - s n ). F(s) s s

L e at

1
(s a)

Is standard Laplace transform pair.

Once F(s) is expressed in terms of partial
fractions, with coefficients K1, K2 Kn, the
inverse Laplace transform can be easily
obtained

f(t) L F(s) K1e K 2e K 3e ...

-1

at

bt

ct

Example 3

Find the inverse Laplace transform of given

F(s)
F(s)

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

Solution : The degree of N(s) is less than

D(s). Hence F(s) can be expressed as,

F(s)

K1
K2
K3

s
(s 3) (s 4)

where K1 s. F(s) s 0 s.

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

K 2 (s 3). F(s) s 3 (s 3).

1
1
6
3
2
F(s)

s
(s 3) (s 4)

s 0

2
1

3x4 6

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

K 3 (s 4). F(s) s 4 (s 4).

1

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

(-3 2)
1

(-3)x(-3 4) 3

(-4 2)
1
(-4)x(-4 3)
2

s 3

s 4

Taking inverse Laplace transform,

1 1 -3t 1 -4t
f(t) e - e
6 3
2

MAR JKE

Multiple Roots

The given function is of the form,

F(s)

N(s)
(s - a) n D(s)

There is multiple root of the order n existing at s=a.

The method of writing the partial fraction expansion
for such multiple roots is,
F(s)

K0
K1
K2
K n -1
N' (s)

...

(s - a) n (s - a) n -1 (s - a) n -2
(s - a)
D' (s)

N' (s)
D' (s) represents

where
expansion of F(s)

remaining terms of the

A separate coefficient is assumed for each power of

repetitive root, starting from its highest power n to 1
For ease of solving simultaneous equations, find the
coefficient K0 by the same method for simple roots

K 0 (s - a) n . F(s) s a

Finding the Laplace inverse transform of expanded

F(s) refer to standard transform pairs,

Example 4

Obtain the inverse Laplace transform of given f(s)

Complex Conjugate
Roots
If there exists a quadratic term in D(s) of F(s) whose roots
are complex conjugates then the F(s) is expressed with a
first order polynomial in s in the numerator as,
F(s)

As B
N' (s)

(s 2 s ) D' (s)

Where (s2 + s + ) is the quadratic whose roots are

complex conjugates while
represents
N' (s)
D' (s)
remaining terms of the expansion.

The A and B are partial fraction coefficients.

The method of finding the coefficients is same as

the multiple roots.
Once A and B are known, then use the following
method for calculating inverse Laplace transform.
Consider
A and B are know.
As B
F1 (s)

(s 2 s )

Now complete the square in the denominator by

calculating last term as,
2
Where L.T = Last term
term
F.T = First term

(M.T.)
L.T.
4(F.T.)

M.T = Middle

2
L.T.
4
F1 (s)

As B
As B

2
2

2
2
s s

s
2
4
4
2

2
where 4

Now

adjust the numerator As + B in such a way that it

is of the form

Example 5

Find the inverse Laplace transform of

MAR JKE

Application of Laplace Transform

in Control System
The control system can be classified as
electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, thermal and
so on.
All system can be described by
integrodifferential equations of various orders
While the o/p of such systems for any i/p can
be obtained by solving such
integrodifferential equations
Mathematically, it is very difficult to solve
such equations in time domain

An integro-differential equation is an equation that involves both integrals and

derivatives of a function. Using the Laplace transform of integrals and derivatives,
an integro-differential equation can be solved.

The Laplace transform of such

integrodifferential equations converts them
into simple algebraic equations

All the complicated computations then can

be easily performed in s domain as the
equations to be handled are algebraic in
nature.

Such transformed equations are known as

equations in frequency domain

By eliminating unwanted variable, the required

variable in s domain can be obtained

By using technique of Laplace inverse, time

domain function for the required variable can be
obtained

Hence making the computations easy by

converting the integrodifferential equations into
algebraic is the main essence of the Laplace
transform