Lecture 28 Impulse Functions

11/18/2011
Impulse functions.

Impulse functions are functions that are zero everywhere except at one single points, and furthermore
when integrated over R give a nonzero value.

Unit impulse function (guess this is engineering jargon. In physics its known as the Dirac function, and in mathematics just ).
R
(t) = 0 for all t  0, and (t) dt = 1.

Translations:

(t a) = 0 for all t  a,
Properties.

(t a) = 1.

(1)

Its easy to see that

Z

t2

t1

(t a) dx =

0 a < t1 or a > t2
1 t1 < a < t2

(2)

Remark. What if t1 = a or t2 = a? In these cases we have to clarify whether our (t a) means

(t (a + )) a unit impulse just to the right of a, (t (a )) a unit impulse just to the left
R t
of a, or (t a) that is a unit impulse sit right at a. The reasonable values of a 2 (t a) dx
are then
Z t2
Z t2
Z t2
1
(t (a + )) = 1;
(t (a )) = 0;
(t a) = .
(3)
2
a
a
a
Similar argument works if t2 = a.

More generally we have, for any continuous function f ,


Z t2
0
a < t1 or a > t2
(t a)f (t) dt =
f (a) t1 < a < t2
t1

(4)

To see why, consider the following argument:

The first case is obvious;

To prove the second case, first realize what continuity of f (at a) means: Given any
> 0, there is > 0 such that when |t a| < , |f (t) f (a)| < .

Now consider a given > 0. Let be as in above. If |t1 a| or |t2 a| is even smaller
than , change to that smaller value.

Now compute
Z t2
Z
(t a)f (t) dt =
t1

t2

(t a) f (t) dt

a+
Z a+

+
+

Za
a
t1

(t a) f (t) dt
(t a) f (t) dt

a+

= 0+
(t a) f (t) dt + 0
a
Z a+
=
(t a) f (t) dt
a

Lecture 28 Impulse Functions

a+

(t a) f (a) dt +

= f (a)

a+

(t a) dt +

a
Z a+

= f (a) +

a+

Z a
a+
a

(t a) (f (t) f (a)) dt
(t a) (f (t) f (a)) dt

(t a) (f (t) f (a)) dt.

Finally notice:
 Z
Z
Z a+

 a+
a+


(t a) (f (t) f (a)) dt 6
(t a) |f (t) f (a)| <
(t a) =


 a
a
a
Summarizing what we have shown:

Z t

 2

(t a)f (t) dt f (a) < .


(5)

(6)

(7)

t1

As can be any positive number, it must be true that


Z t

 2

(t a)f (t) dt f (a) = 0.


(8)

t1

Laplace transform of impulse functions.

In our class we only consider a > 0. Since all we care about is what happens when t > 0.

Clearly est is continuous for every s. So

Z
L{(t a)} =

est (t a) dt = eas.

More generally, if f (t) is continuous, then so is est f (t) and we have

Z
L{f (t) (t a)} =
est f (t) (t a) dt = eas f (a).

(9)

(10)

Example 1. Compute
Solution. Identify

 2



3 ln (cos t) (t 1) .
L et sin
2

f (t) = et sin
So

3 ln (cos t) ,

a = 1.

 2





L et sin
3 ln (cos t) (t 1) = eas f (a) = es e1 sin
3 ln (cos 1) .

(11)
(12)
(13)

Equations with impulse right hand side.

Example 2. Solve

y + 4 y = (t ) (t 2 ),

y(0) = 0,

y (0) = 0.

(14)

Solution.
First take Laplace transform of the equation: Recall

So the transformed equation is

Next find Y :

L{y } = s2 Y s y(0) y (0).

(15)

(s2 + 4) Y = es e2s.

(16)

Y=

e2s
es

.
s2 + 4 s2 + 4

(17)

11/18/2011

Finally take the inverse transform: Recall

1

L1{eas F (s)} = u(t a) f (t a)

(18)

where f (t) = L {F (s)}.

n s o
e
1
1
L 1 s2 + 4 : Identify a = , F (s) = s2 + 4 . So f (t) = 2 sin (2 t). Therefore

 s 
e
1
1
L1 2
= u(t ) f (t ) = u(t ) sin (2 (t )) = u(t ) sin (2 t).
s +4
2
2
n 2s o
e
1
L 1 s2 + 4 = 2 u(t 2 )sin(2 t).

(19)

So finally

y=

1
sin (2 t) [u(t ) u(t 2 )].
2

To understand the solution better, we can further write it into the piecewise form:

t<

0
1
y=
sin (2 t) < t < 2 .

0
t>2
Example 3. Solve

Solution. First recall




2 y + y + 4 y = t
sin (t),
6

y(0) = y (0) = 0.

L{y } = s2 Y s y(0) y (0);

L{y } = s Y y(0)
 

o
n 

1 s

s
sin (t) = e 6 sin
= e 6 .
L t
6
2
6
Now we can write down the transformed equation
1 6 s
e
.
2

(2 s2 + s + 4) Y =
This gives

(20)

(21)

(22)

(23)
(24)
(25)

(26)

1
e 6
Y (s) =
.
2 2 s2 + s + 4

(27)

L1{eas F (s)} = u(t a) f (t a).

(28)

To compute inverse transform recall

Identify:

F (s) =
We need to compute

1
1
;
2
2 2s +s+4

f (t) =
=
=
=
=

a= .
6


1
1
L
2 2 s2 + s + 4


1
1 1
L
s2 + s/2 + 2
4
)
(
1 1
1
L
1

31
4
s + 4 2 + 16
!

31
1 t/4 4
sin
e
t
4
4
31
!

1 t/4
31
sin
t .
e
4
31
1

(29)

Lecture 28 Impulse Functions

Now we can write

y=L

1
e 6
2
2 2s +s+4



1

e
=u t
6
31

t 6 /4

sin

!



31
t
.
6
4

(30)