Can I use Dirac $\delta$ as forcing function of a linear differential equation?

245 Views Asked by At

$$\begin{cases}y'+y=\delta(t) \\ y(0)=0\end{cases}$$

I have used Laplace transform:

$$\mathscr{L} \{ \delta(t) \}=1$$ $$\mathscr{L} \{ y'+y \}=sY(s)-0 +Y(s)=sY(s)+Y(s)$$



$$sY(s)+Y(s)=1$$ $$(s+1) Y(s)=1$$ $$Y(s)=\frac{1}{s+1}$$

Inverse Laplace transform:

$$y(t)=e^{-t}$$

But, $y(0)=1 \ne 0 $


Where is the problem?


Thanks!

3

There are 3 best solutions below

0
On BEST ANSWER

Your solution is mostly fine.

The only thing you have to remember is that pointwise value of $y(t)$, especially at $t = 0$, means almost nothing in this business. This is because it is meaningless to interpret $\delta$ in pointwise sense around $t = 0$. Consequently the initial condition is mathematically not well-defined.

Indeed, since the derivative of $y'$ is mostly driven by the impulse $\delta(t)$ near $t = 0$, you should expect that there is a unit jump at $t = 0$. Now by the same computation as LutzL's solution, the general solution is

$$ y(t) = ce^{-t} + e^{-t}u(t) $$

where $u(t)$ is the unit step function. If we interpret the initial condition as $y(0^-) = 0$, then $c = 0$ and we indeed obtain $y(t) = e^{-t} u(t)$. Other interpretation of the condition $y(0) = 0$ will lead to different answers, however, even though they may lead to the value $c\neq 0$ which is physically not plausible.

0
On

Hint: $${\cal L}(y'+y)={\cal L}(\delta(t))$$ $$(s+1){\cal L}(y)={\cal L}(\delta(t))$$ $${\cal L}(y)=\dfrac{1}{s+1}{\cal L}(\delta(t))$$ $$y=e^{-t}*\delta(t)$$

0
On

Multiply with the integrating factor $e^t$ to get $$ (e^ty(t))'=e^tδ(t)=e^0δ(t) $$ and integrate to $$ e^ty(t)=c+u(t) $$ Now you want, as the use of the Laplace transform indicates, a causal solution, that is, $y(t)=0$ for $t<0$. This requires $c=0$ so that the solution is $$ y(t)=e^{-t}u(t). $$ What $y(0)$ is now depends what value the ramp function $u$ takes at the jump.