Integration in Laplace Transform

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the integration of complex exponential functions within the context of the Laplace Transform. Participants explore the evaluation of integrals involving the function f(t) = e^{i.t} and the implications of complex variables in the integration process. The scope includes mathematical reasoning and technical explanations related to improper integrals and limits.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents an integral involving a complex exponential and attempts to evaluate it, leading to confusion about the limits and the form of the integral.
  • Another participant clarifies that the integral can be approached as a limit of an improper integral, emphasizing the need to consider the behavior as n approaches infinity.
  • A third participant notes that the Laplace transform is defined for s > 0 and explains the evaluation of the integral, highlighting the importance of the limit as t approaches infinity.
  • One participant questions why the limit results in zero despite the presence of the imaginary component e^{i.t}, expressing confusion over the product of a bounded function and a term approaching zero.
  • Another participant responds by explaining that the bounded nature of e^{i.t} leads to a product that approaches zero when multiplied by a term that tends to zero.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing levels of understanding regarding the behavior of the integral as t approaches infinity. While some clarify the reasoning behind the limits, others remain uncertain about the implications of the imaginary component in the integral.

Contextual Notes

There is an implicit assumption that the real part of s must be greater than zero for the limits to hold, and the discussion does not resolve the nuances of complex integration fully.

juan.
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Hello everyone, I have a question about integrating in Laplace Transform. For example, if I have:
f(t)=e^{i.t}
I have to solve this equation:
\int_{0}^{\infty}e^{i.t}.e^{-s.t}dt

If I do like this, it's very simple:
\int_{0}^{\infty}e^{i.t}.e^{-s.t}dt=\int_{0}^{\infty}e^{-t.(s-i)}dt=\frac{-1}{s-i}.(0-1)=\frac{1}{s-i}

But, if I do like this, I can't solve it:
\int_{0}^{\infty}e^{i.t}.e^{-s.t}dt=\int_{0}^{\infty}e^{t.(i-s)}dt=\frac{1}{i-s}.(?? - 1)= ??

Where it says '??', I don't know what to write.

Any help? Thanks!
 
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You're technically dealing with a complex variable s and an improper integral. So what you really want to calculate is
\lim_{n \rightarrow \infty}\int_{0}^{n}e^{it}e^{-(a+b i)t}dt = \lim_{n \rightarrow \infty}\int_{0}^{n}e^{(-a+(1-b)i)t}dt = \lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} \frac{1}{-a+(1-b)i} \left ( e^{(-a+(1-b)i)n} - 1 \right) .
 
The Laplace transform here is defined for ##s>0##. Integrating you get $$\int_0^\infty e^{t(i-s)} dt = \frac{e^{t(i-s)}}{i-s} \Bigm|_{t=0}^{t=\infty} = \frac1{i-s} (0-1)= \frac1{s-i} .$$ Here by the value at ##t=\infty## you should understand the limit as ##t\to\infty##, and this limit is ##0## if ##s>0##. You can also consider complex ##s##, the same computation works and the limit as ##t\to\infty## is still zero if ##\operatorname{Re}s>0##. In your computations you skipped on step (did not write the antiderivative), maybe that was the source of your confusion.
 
Thanks for your answers!
I can see now that e^{t.(i-s)}, with t->\infty is equal to 0, but why?
I can separate that exponential in 2 parts: real and immaginary. In the real part, of course I have e^{-t.s}=0 but in the immaginary part I have: e^{i.t} and that's not 0.
So, I have 0.\infty, with the infinity in the immaginary. Isn't that strange? Why do you say that is 0?
 
For real ##t## we have ##|e^{it}|=1##, so we have something bounded (##e^{it}##) times something with limit ##0##. The resulting limit is then ##0##.
 
Oh, that's true!
ThanksssssssssssssssssssssSorry, Euler, I forgot about you haha
 

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