1 Problems Laplace transform

Problem 1
Transform the following differential equation with the Laplace transform.

ÿ + 3ẏ + 2y = u(t)

initial conditions y(0) = −1, ẏ(0) = 2 and

u(t) = 0 t<0
= 1 t>0

Problem 2
Transform the following differential equation with the Laplace transform.

ÿ + 3ẏ + 2y = 3u(t)

with initial conditions y(0) = 1, ẏ(0) = 0 and

u(t) = 0 t<0
= exp(−4t) t > 0

Problem 3
Determine the time function who’s Laplace transform reads :
1
F (s) =
(s + 1)2 (s + 2)

Problem 4
Determine the time function who’s Laplace transform reads :
s2 + 2s + 3
F (s) =
(s2 + 2s + 2)(s2 + 2s + 5)

Problem 5
Solve the following differential equation by means of Laplace transform.
dy
5 + 3y = 0 ; y(0) = 1
dt

Problem 6
Solve the following differential equation by means of Laplace transform.
dy
5 + 3y = 1 ; y(0) = 0
dt

Problem 7
Solve the following differential equation by means of Laplace transform.
dy
5 + 3y = t ; y(0) = 0
dt

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Problem 8
Solve the following differential equation by means of Laplace transform.

d2 y dy dy
2
+2 +y =0 ; y(0) = 1 (0) = 1
dt dt dt

Problem 9
Solve the following differential equation by means of Laplace transform.

d2 y dy dy
+ +y =0 ; y(0) = 0 (0) = 1
dt2 dt dt

2
Problem 1: Solution
Based on property A.2.1, A.2.2 and Table A.1 of appendix A we derive
dy(0+ )
• the Laplace transform of ÿ(t) is s2 Ly(t) − sy(0+ ) − dt

• the Laplace transform of ẏ(t) is sLy(t) − y(0+ )

• the Laplace transform of y(t) is Ly(t)
• the Laplace transform van u(t), a unity step is 1s .
We substitute the actual initial conditions and denote Y (s) = Ly(t),
1
s2 Y (s) + s − 2 + 3sY (s) + 3 + 2Y (s) =
s
2 1
Y (s)(s + 3s + 2) = −(s + 1) +
s
−(s + 1) 1 1
Y (s) = 2 + ×
s + 3s + 2 s s2 + 3s + 2

Problem 2: solution
The left hand side is the same as problem 1, but the initial conditions have changed. The right
1
hand side contains an exponential function. The Laplace transform of exp(−4t) is s+4 (Table
A.1).
3
s2 Y (s) − s + 3sY (s) − 3 + 2Y (s) =
s+4
3
Y (s)(s2 + 3s + 2) = s + 3 +
s+4
s+3 3 1
Y (s) = 2 + ×
s + 3s + 2 s + 4 s2 + 3s + 2

Problem 3 : solution
We split F (s) in partial fractions according to Section A.4.1, Appendix A:
1
F (s) =
(s + 1)2 (s + 2)
A B C
= + +
s + 1 (s + 1)2 s+2
A(s + 1)(s + 2) + B(s + 2) + C(s + 1)2
=
(s + 1)2 (s + 2)
2
(A + C)s + (3A + B + 2C)s + 2A + 2B + C
=
(s + 1)2 (s + 2)
Identification of coefficients of equal powers of s yields:
A+C = 0
3A + B + 2C = 0
2A + 2B + C = 1
It holds that A = −C, B = C en C = 1 or
−1 1 1
F (s) = + +
s + 1 (s + 1)2 s+2
The inverse Laplace transform reads
f (t) = −e−t + te−t + e−2t

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Problem 4: solution
We split F (s) in partial fractions:
s2 + 2s + 3
F (s) =
(s2 + 2s + 2)(s2 + 2s + 5)
The roots of both polynomials in the denominator are complex conjugate. Consequently, we are
not able to rewrite the denominator as a product of first order terms. Splitting in partial fractions
yields:
As + B Cs + D
F (s) = + 2
s2 + 2s + 2 s + 2s + 5
(As + B)(s2 + 2s + 5) + (Cs + D)(s2 + 2s + 2)
=
(s2 + 2s + 2)(s2 + 2s + 5)
(A + C)s3 + (2A + B + 2C + D)s2
=
(s2 + 2s + 2)(s2 + 2s + 5)
(5A + 2B + 2C + 2D)s + 5B + 2D
+
(s2 + 2s + 2)(s2 + 2s + 5)
Identification of coefficients yields
A+C = 0 (1)
2A + B + 2C + D = 1 (2)
5A + 2B + 2C + 2D = 2 (3)
5B + 2D = 3 (4)
The first equations shows that A = −C. Substituted in the second equation we find B + D = 1.
The third equations results in 5A + 2C = 0. As A = −C we find A = 0 and C = 0. With
B+D = 1 (5)
5B + 2D = 3 (6)
it holds that B = 1/3 and D = 2/3. The rational function F (s) can be written as
1 2
F (s) = +
3(s2 + 2s + 2) 3(s2 + 2s + 5)
1 2
= +
3((s + 1)2 + 1) 3((s + 1)2 + 4)
1 1 1 2
= × + ×
3 (s + 1) + 1 3 (s + 1)2 + 4
2

It holds that, based on Table A.1

1 −t 1 1
f (t) = e sin t + e−t sin 2t = e−t (sin t + sin 2t)
3 3 3

Problem 5: solution
The Laplace transform reads:
5sY (s) − 5y(0) + 3Y (s) = 0
or
5y(0) 5 1
Y (s) = = =
5s + 3 5s + 3 s + 35
The inverse Laplace transform can be read from Table A.1 Appendix A.
 
3
y(t) = exp − t
5

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Problem 6: solution
The Laplace transform reads:
1
5sY (s) + 3Y (s) =
s
or
1 1
Y (s) =
5s + 3 s
We split in partial fractions:
 
A B As + B(5s + 3)
Y (s) = + =
5s + 3 s (5s + 3)s
Identification of coefficients yields

A + 5B = 0
3B = 1

such that A = − 53 and B = 31 . The inverse Laplace transform yields the time function.
  
1 3
y(t) = 1 − exp − t
3 5

Problem 7: solution
The Laplace transform reads:
1
5sY (s) − 5y(0) + 3Y (s) =
s2
or
1 1
Y (s) =
5s + 3 s2
We spilt the expression in partial fractions:
1 1 A B C
2
= + + 2
5s + 3 s 5s + 3 s s
Identification of coefficients yields

A + 5B = 0
3B + 5C = 0
3C = 1
25
We obtain:A = 9 , B= and C = 13 . The inverse Laplace transform yields the time function:
−5
9
 
25/9 −5/9 1/3 5 3 −5 1
yf (t) = L−1 + + 2 = exp (− t) + + t
5s + 3 s s 9 5 9 3

Problem 8: solution
The Laplace transform reads:
dy(0)
s2 Y (s) − sy(0) − + 2sY (s) − 2y(0) + Y (s) = 0
dt
or
(s2 + 2s + 1)Y (s) = s + 3

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which yields the rational function:
s+3
Y (s) =
(s2 + 2s + 1)

The denominator can be rewritten as:

s2 + 2s + 1 = (s + 1)2

We spilt the expression in partial fractions as follows:

s+3 A B
= +
(s2 + 2s + 1) s + 1 (s + 1)2

Identification of coefficients yields

A = 1
A+B = 3

We obtain: A = 1 and B = 2. The inverse Laplace transform yields the time function:
 
1 2
yf (t) = L−1
+ = exp (−t) + 2t exp (−t)
s + 1 (s + 1)2

Problem 9: solution
The Laplace transform reads:

dy(0)
s2 Y (s) − sy(0) − + sY (s) − y(0) + Y (s) = 0
dt
or
(s2 + s + 1)Y (s) = 1
which yields the rational function:
1
Y (s) =
(s2 + s + 1)

The second order polynomial s2 + 2s + 1 cannot be split further. We rewrite the rational function
as follows: q
r 3
1 1 4 4
Y (s) = = =
(s + 21 )2 + 1 − 41 (s + 12 )2 + 34 3 (s + 12 )2 + 34
The inverse Laplace transform yields the time function:
r q  r
 4 3 r
4
 4 3
yin (t) = L−1
= exp (−0.5t) sin ( t)
 3 (s + 12 )2 + 34  3 4