Heaviside Unit Step function

1 Introduction - Definition
The Unit Step function u(t − a) (sometimes expressed as H(t − a)), is defined by;
(
0 if t < a
u(t − a) =
1 if t ≥ a

Note that if a = 0 then,

(
0 if t < 0
u(t) = u(t − 0) =
1 if t ≥ 0

u(t) u(t − a)

f (t) f (t)

1 1

t t
a a

When the unit step function (u(t − a)) is multiplied to another function g(t), it has the
effect of suppressing g(t) for all t < a. For example, if g(t) = 2t, then
 
2t (0) if t < 4 0 if t < 4
f (t) = g(t) · u(t − 4) = 2t u(t − 4) = =
| {z } 2t (1) if t > 4 2t if t > 4
Unit Step Form
| {z }
Interval Form

f (t) = 2t
f (t) = 2t u(t − 4)
f (t)
f (t)

1 t
4 1 t
4

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2 Converting Unit step Form to Interval Form
This method is illustrated by way of an example.
Example
Express the function y = 2 u(t) − (t − 3) u(t − 3) + (2t − 1) u(t − 5) in Interval Form and
draw the graph of this function.
There are three unit step functions contained in y,

u(t) u(t − 3) u(t − 5)

f (t) f (t) f (t)

1 1 1

t t t
3 5 3 5 3 5

Now, consider the values of the respective unit step functions in y on each of the intervals,
starting at t = 0.
Intervals y = 2 u(t) − (t − 3) u(t − 3) + (2t − 1) u(t − 5)
0≤t<3 y = 2(1) − (t − 3)(0) + (2t − 1)(0) = 2
3≤t<5 y = 2(1) − (t − 3)(1) + (2t − 1)(0) = −t + 5
5≤t y = 2(1) − (t − 3)(1) + (2t − 1)(1) = t + 4
The function y can now be expressed in Interval form as follows;

2
 if 0≤t<3
y = −t + 5 if 3≤t<5

t+4 if 5≤t


11 f (t)
9

2
t
3 5

Exercise
Convert the following to Interval Form
1) y = 2 u(t) + (2t − 1) u(t − 3) + (−3t + 4) u(t − 5)

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 
2
 if 0 ≤ t < 2
ans: y = 2t + 1 if 3 ≤ t < 5

−t + 5 if 5 < t


2) y = (t2 + 2t + 1) u(t − 1) − (4t − 3) u(t − 7) + 2t u(t − 8)



0 if 0 ≤ t < 1
t2 + 2t + 1

if 1 ≤ t < 7
ans: y = 2


t − 2t + 4 if 7 ≤ t < 8
2
t +4 if 8 ≤ t

3 Converting Interval Form to Unit step Form

For this process we make use of the function g(t) = u(t − a) − u(t − b), where a < b.
When multiplied to a function f (t), the function, g(t), has the effect of suppressing the
function f (t) in the intervals (−∞, a] ∪ (b, ∞). Thus,

0
 if t < a
f (t) · [u(t − a) − u(t − b)] = f (t) if a ≤ t < b

0 if b < t


f (t) f (t) · [u(t − a) − u(t − b)]

f (t) f (t)

t t
a b a b

To convert from Interval Form to Unit Step Form, the function defined on each interval
is multiplied by a function of the form of g(t). These products are then summed to form
the Unit Step Form of the given function.
Example
Express the function, graphed below, in Unit Step Form

f (t)

7 f (t)

3
2
t
2 4 6

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First find the equations of the functions on each interval so that you can express the
function in Interval Form;



 0 if 0≤t<2

2t − 1 if 2≤t<4
f (t) =


 −t + 11 if 4<t<6
6≤t

2 if

Converting to Unit Step Form, we get

f (t) = 0 · [u(t) − u(t − 2)] + (2t − 1) · [u(t − 2) − u(t − 4)]

+ (−t + 11) · [u(t − 4) − u(t − 6)] + 2 · u(t − 6)

f (t) = (2t − 1) u(t − 2) − (2t − 1) u(t − 4) + (−t + 11) u(t − 4) − (−t + 11) u(t − 6)
+ 2 u(t − 6)

f (t) = (2t − 1) u(t − 2) + (−3t + 12) u(t − 4) + (t − 9) u(t − 6)

Exercises
Convert the following functions to Unit Step Form;

t + 4
 if 0 ≤ t < 2
2
1) y = t − 2t if 2 ≤ t < 5

3 if 5 ≤ t


ans: y = (t + 4) u(t) + (t2 − 3t − 4) u(t − 2) + (−t2 + 2t + 3) u(t − 5)

2)

y = f (t)

f (t)
2

1
t
2 4 7

ans: y = t u(t) + (−t + 1)u(t − 2) + − 13 t + 4

u(t − 4) − − 13 t + 7



3 3
u(t − 7)

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4 Laplace Transform of Unit Step Functions

Theorem:
e−as
L {u(t − a)} =
s
Proof.
Z ∞
L {u(t − a)} = e−st u(t − a) dt
0
Z ∞
= e−st dt (since u(t − a) = 0 for t < a)
a
T
e−st

= lim
T →∞ −s a

e−sT e−as
 
= lim −
T →∞ −s −s

e−as
= for Re(s) > 0
s

Corollary
L {u(t)} = 1
s

Proof.
e0s
L {u(t)} = L {u(t − 0)} = s
= 1
s

Theorem: (Second Shift (Second Translation) Theorem)

If L {f (t)} = F (s), then for a ≥ 0, a (constant);
L {f (t − a) u(t − a)} = e−as F (s)
Proof.
Z ∞
L {f (t − a) u(t − a)} = e−st f (t − a) u(t − a) dt
0
Z ∞
= e−st f (t − a) dt (since f (t − a) u(t − a) = 0 for t < a)
a

Z ∞ Let u = t − a, du = dt
−s(u+a)
= e f (u) du when t = a, u = 0
0 when t → ∞, u → ∞
Z ∞
−as
=e e−su f (u) du
0

= e−as F (s)

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Corollary
L {f (t) u(t)} = F (s)

Proof.
L {f (t) u(t)} = L {f (t) u(t − 0)} = e0s F (s) = F (s)

Example

L {3u(t) + (2t + 4) u(t − 3)} = L {3u(t) + (2[(t − 3) + 3] + 4) u(t − 3)}

= L {3 u(t) + (2(t − 3) + 10) u(t − 3)}

3
= + e−3s L {2t + 10}
s
 
3 −3s 2 10
= +e +
s s2 s

Example

L {(2t2 + 3t − 5) u(t − 8)} = L {(2[(t − 8) + 8]2 + 3[(t − 8) + 8] − 5) u(t − 8)}

= e−8s L {2(t + 8)2 + 3(t + 8) − 5} u(t − 3)}

= e−8s L {2t2 + 35t + 147}

 
−8s 4 35 147
=e + 2 +
s3 s s

Example

L {cos(2t) u(t − 4)} = L {cos(2[(t − 4) + 4]) u(t − 4)}

= L {cos(2(t − 4) + 8) u(t − 4)}

= e−4s L {cos(2t + 8)}

= e−4s L {cos(2t) cos(8) − sin(2t) sin(8)}

 
−4s s cos(8) 2 sin(8)
=e − 2
s2 + 4 s +4

[s cos(8) − 2 sin(8)] e−4s

=
s2 + 4

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 

0 0≤t<2

2t − 1 2≤t<4
Example L {f (t)}, where f (t) =


−t + 11 4≤t<6
6≤t

2

First, the function must be converted into unit step form (done in the section
(Converting Interval Form to Unit Step Form) above i.e;
f (t) = (2t − 1) u(t − 2) + (−3t + 12) u(t − 4) + (t − 9) u(t − 6)

∴ f (t) = (2[(t − 2) + 2] − 1) u(t − 2) + (−3[(t − 4) + 4] + 12) u(t − 4)+

([(t − 6) + 6] − 9) u(t − 6)

= (2(t − 2) + 3) u(t − 2) − 3(t − 4) u(t − 4) + ((t − 6) − 3) u(t − 6)

∴ L {f (t)} = e−2s L {2t + 3} − e−4s L {3t} + e−6s L {t − 3}

3e−4s
   
−2s 2 3 −6s 1 3
=e + − 2 +e −
s2 s s s2 s

5 Inverse Laplace Transforms of Unit Step Functions

From the Second Shift Theorem,

L −1 {e−as F (s)} = f (t − a) u(t − a)

Example
s
 −2s
 Let F (s) = 2 , then
se √s + 3
L −1 f (t) = cos( 3t),
s2 + 3 √ and
f (t − 2) = cos( 3(t − 2))

se−2s √
 
∴ L −1
= f (t − 2) u(t − 2) = cos( 3(t − 2)) u(t − 2)
s2 + 3

Example

(1 + 3e−3s )(1 − e−5s )

 
L −1
s2

3e−3s e−5s 3e−8s

 
1
=L −1
+ 2 − 2 − 2
s2 s s s

= t u(t) + 3(t − 3) u(t − 3) − (t − 5) u(t − 5) − 3(t − 8) u(t − 8)

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Example
1 1 2!
Let F (s) =
=
, then
3 3 2! s − 3 3
s−
( )
e−2s e−2s
 
1 −1 2 2
L −1
= L 1 32 t 2
(2s − 3)3 23 3 3 f (t) = e t, and


s− 2 2
3
f (t − 2) = 12 e 2
(t−2)
(t − 2)2

e−2s
 
1 23 (t−2)
∴ L −1
= 18 f (t − 2) u(t − 2) = 16
e (t − 2)2 u(t − 2)
(2s − 3)3
Example

3se−4s
 
L −1
2s2 + 3s + 2
( )
1 −1 3se−4s
= L
2
2 s + 43 + 16 7

(  )
1 −1 3 s + 43 − 34 e−4s


= L
2
2 s+ 3 + 7 4 16
( ) ( √ )
3
e−4s 7


3 s+ 2 4
= L −1 4
− · √ L −1 4
2 73 2 3 3 2 7



s+ + 164
7 s+ 4
+ 16
3
√  √ 
− 34 (t−4)
= 32 e− 4 (t−4) cos 47 (t − 4) u(t − 4) − 8
√
3 7
e sin 4
7
(t − 4) u(t − 4)

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