 Solution

Use the Fourier transform convention $\tilde{y}(\omega )={\int }_{\mathbb{R}}y(t)e^{-i\omega t}dt$. For a transformable response with the necessary boundary terms vanishing, integration by parts givesTransforming the differential equation therefore gives $(5-{\omega }^2+2i\omega )\tilde{y}=\tilde{f}$, soThe identities also hold for tempered distributions. The denominator factors as $(\omega -i-2)(\omega -i+2)$; its two poles are in the upper half-plane, corresponding under inverse factor $e^{i\omega t}$ to the causal Green function of a damped oscillator.

The frequency-domain formula selects the Fourier-transformable response. Decay of the force alone would not remove arbitrary homogeneous solutions, which grow towards negative time and do not have an ordinary bilateral Fourier transform.