DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

1.3 INVERSE LAPLACE TRANSFORM – PART 1

• Laplace transform is an integral operator that maps a function f(t) in t-space into a function F(s) in
s-space.

• Definition 1.3.1. Inverse Laplace Transform

Given a function F(s), if there is a function f(t) that is continuous on [0, ) and satisfies ℒ{f(t)} =
F(s), then we say that f(t) is the inverse Laplace transform of F(s) and employ the notation f(t) =
ℒ−1{F(s)}.

• Theorem 1.3.1: Some Basic Inverse Transforms

1 
(a) 1 = ℒ−1   (b) tn = ℒ−1{n!/sn+1}, n = 1, 2, 3, …
s

 1   k 
(c) eat = ℒ−1   (d) sin kt = ℒ−1  2 2
s − a s + k 

 s   k 
(e) cos kt = ℒ−1  2 2
(f) sinh kt = ℒ −1  2 2
s + k  s − k 

 s 
(g) cosh kt = ℒ −1  2 2
s − k 

• Example 1.3.1

Evaluate:
1
(1) ℒ −1  5 
s 
By Theorem 1.3.1(b), we identify n + 1 = 5 or n = 4. Hence,
1 1 4
ℒ−1  5  = 1/4! ℒ−1{4!/s5} = t
s  24

 1 
(2) ℒ −1  2 
s + 7
By Theorem 1.3.1(d), we identify k2 = 7, so k = 7 . Hence,
 1  1  7  1
ℒ −1  2 = ℒ−1  2  = sin 7t .
s + 7 7 s + 7 7
  4  4  3  4
(3) ℒ−1   = ℒ−1  2 2  = sinh 3t
s −9 s −3 
2
3 3

 s  1 s 
(4) ℒ −1   = ℒ −  2 2  = cosh 2t
 ( s − 2 )( s + 2 )  s − 2 

• Theorem 1.3.2: Linearity of the Inverse Transform

ℒ−1{aF(s) + bG(s)} = a ℒ−1{F(s)} + b ℒ−1{G(s)} (1)

Where F and G are the Laplace transforms of some functions f and g.

• Example 1.3.2: Determine:

 5 6s 3  1  1 s  3 −1  1 
(1) ℒ −1  s − 6 − s 2 + 9 + 2 s  = 5ℒ−1   − 6ℒ−  2 2
+ ℒ  
  s − 6 s + 3  2 s
3
= 5e6t − 6 cos 3t +
2

 − 2s + 6  1  − 2s 6 
(2) ℒ −1  2  = ℒ−  2 + 2  termwise division
 s +4  s + 4 s + 4
 s  6 −1  2 
= −2ℒ−1  2  + ℒ  2  linearity and fixing up constant
s + 4 2 s + 4
= −2 cos 2t + 3 sin 2t

• Theorem 1.3.3: First-Shift Property

If ℒ{ f(t)} = F(s) exists for s > c, and a is any real number, then

ℒ{ e at f (t ) } = ℒ  f (t ) s→s −a = F(s − a) for s > c + a. (2)

The inverse form of (2) is

ℒ−1{F(s – a)} = ℒ−1{F(s)|s→s−a} = eat f(t) (3)

• Example 1.3.3: Evaluate

 1  1 
 = e t
3t
(a) ℒ−1  ( s − 3) 2  = ℒ−1  s 2
   s →s −3 

 2  2 −1  4!  1 −1  4! 
 = 1 t4e3t
(b) ℒ−1  ( s − 3) 5  = ℒ ( s − 3) 5 = ℒ s5
  4!   12  s → s −3  12

 s −1  
1 s −1 

(c) ℒ −1  2  = ℒ−   completing the square
 s − 2s + 5   ( s − 1) + 2 
2 2
 
 s 
= ℒ −1  2  = e cos 2t
t

s + 2
2
s → s −1 

 3    3 −1  
(d) ℒ −1   = ℒ−1  3 
= ℒ  2
1

 2s + 8s + 10  ( )
2


 2 s 2
+ 4 s + 5 

2  s + 4s + 5 
3  1  3 −1  1 
 3 −2t
= ℒ −1  2
= ℒ  2 2  = e sin t
 (s + 2) + 1   s +1
2
2 2  s → s −( −2 ) 
 2

 s / 2 + 5/3 
(e) ℒ −1  s 2 + 4 s + 6 
 
s / 2+5/3 s / 2 + 5/3
= completing the square
s 2 + 4s + 6 ( s + 2) 2 + 2
1 5 2
( s + 2) + −
= 2 3 2 write in terms of (s + 2) on the numerator
( s + 2) + 2
2

1 2
( s + 2) +
= 2 3
( s + 2) + 2
2

1 s+2 2 1
= + separate term wise
2 ( s + 2) + 2
2
3 ( s + 2) 2 + 2

 s / 2 + 5/3  1 −1  s + 2  2 1 1 
ℒ−1  s 2 + 4s + 6  = ℒ   + ℒ−  
 ( s + 2) + 2   ( s + 2) + 2 
2 2
2 3

1 −1    2 
 s  2  
= ℒ  2  + ℒ−1  2 
2  s + 2 s →s −( −2) 
  3 2  s + 2 s → s −( −2) 
1 −2t 2 −2t
= e cos 2 t + e sin 2 t .
2 3
• Theorem 1.3.4: Second-Shift Property

If F(s) = ℒ{f(t)} exists and a > 0, then ℒ{f(t − a)U(t – a)} = e−as ℒ{f(t)} = e−as F(s). (4)

e − as
ℒ{U(t – a)} = .
s

 
ℒ{g(t)U(t – a)} =  e g (t )dt e g (v + a)dv = e−as ℒ{g(t + a)}
− st −s ( v+a )
= (5)
a 0

The inverse form of (4) is

If f(t) = ℒ−1{F(s)}, a > 0 then ℒ−1{e−asF(s)} = f ( t )U ( t ) t → t −a = f(t – a)U(t – a) (6)

( )

• Example 1.3.4: Evaluate:

 e− s 
(a) ℒ −1 2
s 
 e− s   1 1
ℒ−1  2  = ℒ−1 e− s 2  = ℒ−1 e − s F ( s ) where a =1, F(s) =  2  then f(t) = t
s   s  s 
 e− s 
ℒ −1  2  = f ( t )U ( t ) t →(t −1) = t U (t ) t →t −1 = ( t − 1) U (t − 1)
s 

 1 −2 s 
(b) ℒ −1  s − 4 e 
 
 1 
 then ℒ− {F(s)} = f(t) = e , we have
1 4t
Using (6), with a = 2, F(s) = 
s − 4
 1 −2 s 
ℒ−1  s − 4 e  = f ( t )U ( t ) t →(t −2) = e4tU (t ) = e4(t −2) U (t − 2)
  t →t − 2

 s − πs / 2 
(c) ℒ−1  s 2 + 9 e 

Using (6), with a = /2, F(s) = s/(s2 + 9), ℒ−1{F(s)} = cos 3t, we obtain

 s − πs / 2 
ℒ−1  s 2 + 9 e  = cos 3t U ( t )     = cos 3  t − π  U  t − π  = −sin 3t U  t − π 
   t → t − 
 2  2  2  2
Exercises 1.3 – Part 1

A Evaluate the following inverse Laplace transform.

Answer
1) 
 6 
 et t 3
ℒ−1  4
 ( s − 1) 
 

2)  2  sin 2t
ℒ−1  
s + 4
2

3)  s +1  e−t cos3t
ℒ−1  
 s + 2s + 10 
2

4)  4  4
ℒ−1   sin 3t
s + 9
2
3

5)  1  1 −2t
ℒ−1   e sin 2t
 s + 4s + 8 
2
2

6) 
 3 
 3 2 −5t /2
ℒ−1  t e
3
 ( 2s + 5) 
16
 

7)  2s + 16  2e−2t cos3t + 4e−2t sin 3t

ℒ−1  
 s + 4s + 13 
2

8) 1 1 4
ℒ−1 5
t
s  24

9)  3s − 15  3 t
e cos 2t − 3et sin 2t
ℒ−1  
 2 s − 4 s + 10 
2
2

10)  s −1  1 −t / 4  47t  5  47t 

ℒ−1   e cos − e −t / 4
sin 
 2s + s + 6 
2
2   4 
 4  2 47  