Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2004/paper-2/5/solution

For causal functions the convolution is . In a half-plane of absolute convergence, changing variables in its Laplace transform and using Fubini's theorem gives
This proves the convolution theorem for Laplace transforms. Transforming the differential equation gives . The direct transform pairs and then give
For a continuous forcing, call the last term . The Leibniz integral rule gives and . Also . Thus both the original equation and the initial values hold.
For an impulse at positive time , the Dirac delta evaluates the convolution, yielding
Here is the Heaviside step function. The displacement remains continuous at , while its derivative jumps upward by one, exactly as required by integrating the differential equation across the unit impulse.

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