Laplace transform The Laplace transform of 𝑓(𝑡) defined for 𝑡 ≥ 0, is given by

∞
𝐿{𝑓(𝑡)} = ∫ 𝑓(𝑡) 𝑒 −𝑠𝑡 d𝑡 = 𝐹̅ (𝑠).
0
The function 𝑓(𝑡) is called the inverse of the transform 𝐹̅ (𝑠).

Table 1 Laplace transform – Power Function

𝑓(𝑡) 𝐹̅ (𝑠) = 𝐿 {𝑓(𝑡)}

1 1/𝑠

t 1/𝑠 2

𝑡2 2 !/𝑠 3

Integer powers ⋮ ⋮

𝑡𝑛 𝑛 !/𝑠 𝑛+1

Γ (𝑝 + 1)/𝑠 𝑝+1 , where

𝑡𝑝, p > 0 ∞
Γ (𝑝 + 1) = ∫ 𝑥 𝑝 𝑒 −𝑥 d𝑥
0

Positive real 3 1 1 1 1 √𝜋
powers √𝑡 Γ( ) = Γ( ) =
2 𝑠3/2 2 2 𝑠3/2 2 𝑠3/2

Table 2 Laplace transform – Exponential and Trigonometric Functions

𝑓(𝑡) 𝐹̅ (𝑠) = 𝐿{𝑓(𝑡)}

1
𝑒 𝑎𝑡
𝑠−𝑎
Exponential
1
𝑒 − 𝑎𝑡
𝑠+𝑎
𝑎
sin 𝑎𝑡
𝑠2 + 𝑎2
Trigonometric
𝑠
cos 𝑎𝑡
𝑠2 + 𝑎2

Linearity property: 𝐿 {𝑎𝑓(𝑡) + 𝑏𝑔(𝑡)} = 𝑎𝐹̅ (𝑠) + 𝑏𝐺̅ (𝑠), where 𝐹̅ (𝑠) and 𝐺̅ (𝑠) are the Laplace transforms of 𝑓(𝑡) and
𝑔(𝑡).

Table 3 Laplace transform – Hyperbolic Functions

Function Laplace transform

− 1 1 1 𝑎
sin 𝑎𝑡 = (
2 𝑠−𝑎
− 𝑠+𝑎) = 𝑠2 −𝑎2
2

+ 1 1 1 𝑠
cos 𝑎𝑡 = (
2 𝑠−𝑎
+ 𝑠+𝑎) = 𝑠2 −𝑎2
2
Table 4 Examples on Linearity

Function Laplace transform

− 1
𝑎− (𝑠−𝑎)(𝑠− )

𝑎 − 𝑠
𝑎− (𝑠−𝑎)(𝑠− )

𝑎2
1 − cos 𝑎𝑡 = 2 sin2 ( 2 ) 𝑠(𝑠2 +𝑎 2 )

𝑎3
𝑎𝑡 − sin 𝑎𝑡 𝑠2 (𝑠2 +𝑎 2 )

3 𝑎𝑡− 3𝑎𝑡 6𝑎 3
sin3 𝑎𝑡 = (𝑠2 +𝑎 2 )(𝑠2 +9𝑎2 )

2𝑎 2 𝑠
cos 𝑎𝑡 − cos 𝑎𝑡
𝑠4 −𝑎4

2𝑎 3
sin 𝑎𝑡 − sin 𝑎𝑡
𝑠4 −𝑎4

2𝑎 𝑠
sin 𝑎𝑡 sin 𝑏𝑡 [𝑠2 +(𝑎− )2 ] [𝑠2 +(𝑎+ )2 ]

𝑎𝑡− 𝑡 𝑠
2 −𝑎 2 (𝑠2 +𝑎 2 )(𝑠2 + 2 )

Laplace transform through Multiplication by t: If 𝐹̅ (𝑠) is the Laplace transform of 𝑓(𝑡), then
𝑑 ̅𝐹 (𝑠) 𝑑2 ̅𝐹 (𝑠) 𝑑𝑛 ̅𝐹 (𝑠)
𝐿 {𝑡 𝑓(𝑡)} = − , 𝐿 {𝑡 2 𝑓(𝑡)} = , … , 𝐿{𝑡 𝑛
𝑓(𝑡)} = (−1)𝑛
∙
𝑑𝑠 𝑑 𝑠2 𝑑 𝑠𝑛
Table 5 Examples on Multiplication by t

Function Laplace transform

𝑑 1 1
𝑡𝑒 𝑎𝑡 − 𝑑𝑠 (𝑠−𝑎) = (𝑠−𝑎)2

𝑑 𝑠 𝑠2 −𝑎2
𝑡 cos 𝑎𝑡 − 𝑑𝑠 (𝑠2 +𝑎2 ) = (𝑠2 +𝑎2 )2

𝑑 𝑎 2𝑎𝑠
𝐿{𝑡 sin 𝑎𝑡} − 𝑑𝑠 (𝑠2 +𝑎2 ) = (𝑠2 +𝑎2 )2

𝑎 𝑎(𝑠2 −𝑎 2 ) 2𝑎 3
𝐿{sin 𝑎𝑡 − 𝑎𝑡 cos 𝑎𝑡} − =
𝑠2 +𝑎2 (𝑠2 +𝑎 2 )2 (𝑠2 +𝑎 2 )2

𝑎 𝑎(𝑠2 −𝑎 2 ) 2𝑎𝑠2
sin 𝑎𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡 cos 𝑎𝑡 𝑠2 +𝑎2
+ (𝑠2 +𝑎2 )2 = (𝑠2 +𝑎2 )2

Laplace transform through Division by t: If 𝐹̅ (𝑠) is the Laplace transform of 𝑓(𝑡), then
∞
𝑓(𝑡)
𝐿{ }= ∫ ̅𝐹 (𝑢) d𝑢 = 𝐺̅ (𝑠).
𝑡 𝑢=𝑠
∞ ∞
𝑓(𝑡) −𝑠𝑡 𝑓(𝑡)
Hence ∫ { }𝑒 d𝑡 = 𝐺̅ (𝑠) ⇒ ∫ d𝑡 = lim 𝐺̅ (𝑠).
0 𝑡 0 𝑡 𝑠→0
 Table 6 Examples on Division by t

Function Laplace transform

∞ ∞
1− 1 1 𝑢 𝑠+𝑎
∫ ( − ) d𝑢 = |log ( )| = log ( )
𝑡 𝑢=𝑠 𝑢 𝑢+𝑎 𝑢 + 𝑎 𝑢=𝑠 𝑠
∞
1 1 𝑢+𝑎 ∞ 𝑠+𝑏
∫ ( − ) d𝑢 = |log ( )| = log ( )
− 𝑢=𝑠 𝑢 + 𝑎 𝑢+𝑏 𝑢 + 𝑏 𝑢=𝑠 𝑠+𝑎
∞
𝑡 𝑒 −𝑎𝑡 − 𝑒 −𝑎𝑡 𝑠+𝑏 𝑏
∫ ( ) d𝑡 = lim log ( ) = log ( ) .
0 𝑡 𝑠→0 𝑠+𝑎 𝑎

∞ ∞
𝑢 𝑢 1 𝑢2 + 𝑎2
∫ ( 2 2
− 2 ) d𝑢 = |log ( 2 )|
𝑢=𝑠 𝑢 + 𝑎 𝑢 + 𝑏2 2 𝑢 + 𝑏2 𝑠
𝑎𝑡− 𝑡 1 𝑠 2 + 𝑏2
𝑡 = log ( 2 )
2 𝑠 + 𝑎2
∞
cos 𝑎𝑡 − cos 𝑏𝑡 1 𝑠 2 + 𝑏2 𝑏
∫ ( ) d𝑡 = lim log ( 2 2 ) = log ( ) .
0 𝑡 2 𝑠→0 𝑠 +𝑎 𝑎

∞ 1 𝑢 𝑢 ∞ √𝑠2 +𝑎 2
∫𝑢=𝑠 (𝑢 − 𝑢2 +𝑎2 ) d𝑢 = |log (√𝑢2 +𝑎2 )| = log ( 𝑠
)
1− 𝑎𝑡 𝑠
𝑡 ∞ 1− 𝑎𝑡 √𝑠2 +𝑎 2 √ 2 +𝑎2
∫0 ( 𝑡
) 𝑒 − 𝑡 d𝑡 = lim𝑠→ log ( 𝑠
) = log ( )

Table 6 Examples on Division by t (Continued)

Function Laplace transform

2 𝑎𝑡

𝑡 ∞ 2 𝑎𝑡 1 √ 2 + 𝑎2
∫0 ( ) 𝑒 − 𝑡 d𝑡 = log ( )
1− 2𝑎𝑡 𝑡 2
= 2𝑡

∞
𝑎 −1
𝑢 ∞ π 𝑠
∫ ( 2 2
) d𝑢 = |tan ( )| = − tan−1 ( )
𝑎𝑡 𝑢=𝑠 𝑢 + 𝑎 𝑎 𝑢=𝑠 2 𝑎
𝑡 ∞
sin 𝑎𝑡 π 𝑠 π
∫ d𝑡 = lim [ − tan−1 ( )] =
0 𝑡 𝑠→0 2 𝑎 2
∞ ∞
1 𝑢 𝑢
∫ ( − 2 ) d𝑢 = |log ( )|
𝑢=𝑠 𝑢 𝑢 − 𝑎2 √𝑢2 − 𝑎2 𝑠
1− 𝑎𝑡
𝑡
√𝑠 2 − 𝑎2
= log ( )
𝑠

1 √𝑡 √π ∞ 1 √π 2 ∞ π
= ∫ ( ) d𝑢 = |− | =√
√𝑡 𝑡 2 𝑢=𝑠 𝑢3/2 2 √𝑢 𝑠 𝑠
First Shifting Property (s-Shifting): If 𝐹̅ (𝑠) is the Laplace transform of 𝑓(𝑡), then
𝐿 {𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑓(𝑡)} = 𝐹̅ (𝑠 − 𝑎).

Table 7 Examples on First Shifting Property

Function Laplace transform

𝑡 𝑛 𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑛 !/(𝑠 − 𝑎)𝑛+1

𝑡 𝑝 𝑒 𝑎𝑡 , p > 0 Γ (𝑝 + 1)/(𝑠 − 𝑎)𝑝+1

√π
√𝑡 𝑒 𝑎𝑡 2(𝑠−𝑎)3/2

𝑒 𝑎𝑡 sin 𝑏𝑡
(𝑠−𝑎)2 + 2

𝑠−𝑎
𝑒 𝑎𝑡 cos 𝑏𝑡
(𝑠−𝑎)2 + 2

𝑒 𝑎𝑡 sin 𝑏𝑡
(𝑠−𝑎)2 − 2

𝑠−𝑎
𝑒 𝑎𝑡 cos 𝑏𝑡
(𝑠−𝑎)2 − 2

0 𝑡<𝑎
Heaviside Unit Step Function: For 𝑎 ≥ 0, 𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎) = 𝑈𝑎 (𝑡) = {
1 𝑡≥𝑎
1 𝑡<𝑎
Note: 1 − 𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎) = 𝑈𝑎 (𝑡) = {
0 𝑡≥𝑎

Second Shifting Property (t -shifting): If 𝐹̅ (𝑠) is the Laplace transform of 𝑓(𝑡), then
𝐿 {𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎) 𝑓(𝑡 − 𝑎)} = 𝑒 −𝑎𝑠 𝐹̅ (𝑠).
Table 8 Examples on Second Shifting Property

Function Laplace transform

𝑠
𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎) = 𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎). 1 𝑒 −𝑎𝑠 𝐿{1} =
𝑠

1 − 𝑒 −𝑎𝑠
1 − 𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎)
𝑠
π π π π 1 2π π𝑠/2
𝐻 (𝑡 − 2 ) cos 𝑡 = 𝐻 (𝑡 − 2 ) sin (𝑡 − 2 ) ∙
2 𝑠2 +(π/2)2
∙ 𝑒 − π𝑠/2 = 𝑠2 +π2

Rectangular Pulse 𝑠− 𝑠

𝑅(𝑡; 𝑎, 𝑏) = 𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎) − 𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑏) 𝑠

Think about It Suppose that

𝑔(𝑡), 𝑎 ≤ 𝑡 < 𝑏
𝑓(𝑡) = {
0, elsew ere.
What is the Laplace transform of f(t)?

Think about It Suppose that

𝑔(𝑡) 0 ≤ 𝑡 < 𝑎
𝑓(𝑡) = {
ℎ(𝑡) 𝑡 ≥ 𝑎.
What is the Laplace transform of f(t)?
Dirac Delta Function: For arbitrarily small 0, and 𝑎 ≥ 0, we have the pulse function
1
𝑎≤𝑡<𝑎+
 (𝑡 − 𝑎) = {
0 elsew ere.

1
Then  (𝑡 − 𝑎) = [𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎) − 𝐻(𝑡 − 𝑎 − )]
𝑠− ( )𝑠 𝑠 (1− 𝑠)
𝐿{ (𝑡 − 𝑎)} = 𝑠
= 𝑠
∙

The Dirac Delta function is defined by (𝑡 − 𝑎) = lim →0  (𝑡 − 𝑎).

+∞ 𝑡 = 𝑎
Thus (𝑡 − 𝑎) = {
0 𝑡 ≠ 𝑎.

𝑠 (1− 𝑠)
Now, 𝐿{(𝑡 − 𝑎)} = lim 𝐿{ (𝑡 − 𝑎)} = lim = 𝑒 −𝑎𝑠 for 𝑎 ≥ 0
→0 →0 𝑠

In particular, 𝐿{(𝑡)} = 1.