Formula for the use of Laplace Transforms to Solve
Second Order Differential Equations.
Given the differential equation
ay ' 'by 'cy g (t ), y (0) y 0 , y' (0) y0'
we have
(as b) y 0 ay 0 ' L( g (t ))
L( y ) as 2 bs c We get the solution y(t) by taking the inverse Laplace transform.
The following table are useful for applying this technique.
Table of Laplace Transforms
Definition of Laplace transform L{ f (t )} e st f (t )dt 0 1 f (t ) L {F ( s )} F ( s) L{ f (t )} Laplace transforms of elementary functions 1 1 s n t n! s n 1 ta (a 1) s a1 e at 1 s a sin kt k s 2 k 2
cos kt s s 2 k 2
sinh kt k s 2 k 2
cosh kt s s 2 k 2
First translation and derivative theorems
at e f (t ) F ( s a) t n f (t ) dn (1) n F ( s) ds n f ' (t ) sF ( s) f (0) f ' ' (t ) s 2 F ( s ) sf (0) f ' (0) f ' ' ' (t ) s 3 F ( s ) s 2 f (0) sf ' (0) f ' ' (0) Unit step and Dirac delta function u (t a ) e as s f (t )u (t a ) e as L{ f (t a )} f (t a )u (t a) e as F (s ) (t a) e as Convolution theorem and Laplace transform of a periodic function t F ( s)G (s) f g f () g (t )d 0
