44 Probability Exercise
44 Probability Exercise
44 Probability Exercise
Caltech 2004
Laplace Transform
Z ∞
L{f (t)} ≡ F (s) ≡ e−st f (t) dt (1)
0
Examples
a) f (t) = 1, t ≥ 0
b
e−st
Z ∞
−st 1
L{1} = e dt = lim =
0 b→∞ −s s
0
b) f (t) = eat , t ≥ 0
Z ∞ Z ∞
−st at 1
at
L{e } = e e dt = e−(s−a)t dt = , s>a
0 0 s−a
Existence
The Laplace transform exists for s > a if:
Writing Z Z Z
∞ M ∞
e−st f (t) dt = e−st f (t) dt + e−st f (t) dt, (2)
0 0 M
the first integral exists by (1a) and |e−st f (t)| ≤ Ke(a−s)t for t ≥ M so if s > a, the second integral
exists by (2a).
Linearity
Transforms of Derivatives
For existence of L{f 0 (t)} for s > a we require
L{f (n) (t)} = sn L{f (t)} − sn−1 f (0) − · · · − sf (n−2) (0) − f (n−1) (0), s>a
Convolution Integrals
Suppose f (t), g(t), and h(t) have transforms F (s), G(s), and H(s) for s > a ≥ 0. If
Hence, if H(s) can be expressed as a product of known transforms, h(t) can be expressed as a
convolution integral. To sketch the proof of (10) we start with the product of transforms (9) and
seek to identify the form of h(t).
Z ∞ Z ∞
H(s) = F (s)G(s) = e−sξ f (ξ) dξ · e−sτ g(τ )dτ (11)
0 0
Z ∞ Z ∞
= g(τ ) e−s(ξ+τ ) f (ξ) dξ dτ (12)
0 0
(let ξ=t−τ so dξ=dt)
Z ∞ Z ∞
= g(τ ) e−st f (t − τ ) dt dτ (13)
0 τ
(reverse order of integration over triangular region)
Z ∞ Z t
−st
= e f (t − τ )g(τ )dτ dt (14)
0 0
| {z }
L−1 {H(s)} by definition
Z ∞
= e−st h(t) dt (15)
0