Minnesota State University, Mankato

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

EE 341 Signals and Systems

Laplace Transform
Yuri de Sousa Dourado

10/15/2015

1. DEFINITIONS OF LAPLACE TRANSFORM

Direct Laplace transform

Lb [ f ( t ) ] =F b ( s )= f ( t ) est dt

(1.1)

Where:
Lb = Called bilateral Laplace transform, hence the subscript b;
s= + j , s is the complex variable of the Laplace transform. Notice
that if we replace s by j we are going to Fourier transform;
Replacing s we can rewrite the equation as:

F ( s )= f ( t ) e

( + j)t

dt= (f ( t ) et )e jt dt

(1.2)

Now we can see that the Bilateral Laplace transform can be replaced
by a Fourier transform multiplied by et .
Inverse Laplace transform
f ( t )=L1 [F ( s ) ]=

c+ j

1
2

F ( s ) e st ds

(1.3)

c j

L1 is the symbol to represent the inverse. After resulting in two

types of equation now we are going to derive two new equations that
will be a lot useful and more simplified:
0

Lb [ f ( t ) ] =F b ( s )= f ( t ) e

st

dt + f ( t ) est dt

(1.4)

The above equation still is a bilateral transform but the next one is
called the unilateral transform. We derive that saying the f ( t ) is for
t< 0 .

L [ f ( t ) ]=F ( s )= f ( t ) est dt

(1.5)

If f(t) is Laplace transformable [if the integral in (1.5) exists],

evaluation of (1.5) yields a function F(s). Evaluation of the inverse
transform with F(s), using the complex inversion integral, (1.3), then
yields f (t). We denote like this:
f ( t ) L F ( s)

(1.6)

We seldom use the use the complex inversion integral to find the
inverse transform, because of the difficulty in evaluating the integral.

2. LAPLACE TRANSFORMS OF FUNCTIONS

Using the definition of Laplace transform we can derive some other
important transforms of well known functions such as:
Impulse Function

t 0 s

( tt 0 ) L e

L [ ( tt 0 ) ]= ( tt 0 ) est dt =est|t=t =et s (1.7)

0

Exponential Function
1
( s+a)

eat L

(1.9)

Sinusoidal Functions

s
2
(s + b )

cos ( bt ) L

b
2
(s +b )

sin ( bt ) L

s+a

(2.0)

(2.1)

( s+ a)
eat cos ( bt) L

s+ a

(2.2)

(2.3)
b

eat sin ( bt )L

Table of Laplace Transforms

f ( t ) ,t >0
(t)
u(t)

F(s)

ROC

All s

1/s

Re(s)>0

(1.8)

1/s 2

Re(s)>0

tn

n!
s n+1

Re(s)>0

at

1
s+ a

Re(s)> a

at

1
(s +a)2

Re(s)> a

t n eat

n!
n+ 1
(s +a)

Re(s)> a

sin ( bt)

b
2
s +b

Re(s)>0

s
s +b 2

Re(s)>0

te

cos ( b t)

eat sin ( bt )

s +a

Re(s)> a

eat cos ( b t)

s+a

(s +a)

Re(s)> a

tsin ( bt)

s
( 2+b2 )2
2 bs

Re(s)>0

tcos ( b t)

s
2
( 2+b2 )
2
2
s b

Re(s)>0

3. LAPLACE TRANSFORMS PROPERTIES

a. Linearity

L [ a1 f 1 ( t ) +a2 f 2 ( t ) ]=a 1 F1 ( s ) +a2 F2 ( s )

b. Derivative
+
0

[ ]

dn f (t )
L
=sF ( s )f
d tn
c. Nth-order Derivative
+
0

+
0

+
0

[ ]

dn f (t )
L
=sn F ( s )s n1 f
n
dt
d. Integral

[ ]
t

f ( t ) dt =

F (s )
s

e. Real Shifting
t 0 s

L [ f ( tt 0 ) u (tt 0) ]=e
f. Complex Shifting
e
L[at f ( t)]=F (s+a)

g. Initial Value

f ( t )= lim sF (s)
s

t 0+
lim

h. Final Value

F ( s)

s 0 sF ( s)
f ( t )= lim

lim

i. Multiplication by t
L[tf (t )]=

d F (s)
ds

j. Time Transformation
es
s
F( )
a
a
L [ f ( at b ) u(atb) ]=
b /a

k. Convolution
t
1

[ F 1 ( s ) F2 ( s ) ]= f 1 ( t ) f 2 ( ) d= f 1 ( ) f 2 ( t ) d
0

l. Time periodicity

( f ( t )=f ( t+T ) ) ,t 0
T

L [ f ( t ) ]=

1
F1 ( s ) , where F 1 ( s ) = f (t )est
sT
1e
0

4. RESPONSE OF LTI SYSTEMS

Initial Conditions
When we talk about initial conditions we can always relate the
expression to an inductive or capacitive circuits because they store the
signal, and before the time t>0 they already have some type of
response. These types of systems have memory, in other words, the
present response depends on the past responses.

In the case of the inductor the initial condition is given by

+
0

or

0 , if we have an inconsistency, it is a current because the inductor

i
stores current. In the case of the capacitor is an analogous voltage
since the capacitor stores tension.

Example for RL circuit:

+
0

d i (t )
+ i ( t )=v ( t ) L sI ( s )i
dt

(2.4)

Transfer Function
The book already denoted transfer function in the past but without
Laplace.
n

dk y
dk y
a k d tk = bk dt k
K =0
k=0

(2.5)

+
0

+
0
L

(2.6)

[ ]

dk y
k
k1
= s F ( s ) s F
k
dt

We have to ignore initial conditions when we are deriving transfer

functions.
L

[ ]

dk y
= sk F ( s)
k
dt

K =0

K=0

(2.7)

a k sk Y (s)= b k s k X (s)

Expanding:

(2.8)

[ n s + an1 s

n1

a
++ a1 s+ a0 ]Y (s)

n1

b
++b 1 s+b 0 ] X (s)(2.9)

[ n s + bn1 s

Transfer function is the ratio between Y(s) and X(s):

b
a
n
n1
[ n s + an1 s ++ a1 s+ a0 ](3.0)
[ n s n +b n1 s n1 + + b1 s+ b0 ]

Y (s)
H ( s )=
=
X (s)
Poles and zeros of a transfer function
We are going to show that using an example:
H ( s )=

4 s+8
(3.1)
2 s2 +8 s+6

Zeros: Are the number that makes the numerator turns zero.
Poles: Are the number that make the denominator turns zero.
H ( s )=

2( s+2)
(3.2)
( s+1)(s +3)

This function only have one zero s=-2 and two poles s=-1 and s=-3.
5. Relationship between Laplace transform and the Fourier
transform.

L [ f ( t ) ]=F ( s )= f ( t ) est dt ;

F [ f ( t ) ] =F ( w )= f ( t ) e jwt dt(3.3)

We have a problem of notation, in the Laplace transform we replace s by jw will turn

into a Fourier transform but we are going to have F(jw) and not F(w) that is what we
expect. We have to know that F(w) is just a notation and we can write:

F [ f ( t ) u (t) ]= L [ f ( t ) u(t ) ]|s= jw (3.4)

That is the relationship between them.