48 CHAPTER

DIRAC-DELTA FUNCTION

48.1 DEFINITION
The function 8 () which is zero everywhere except at x =0, and tends to infinity in such
a manner that

8x) de =1
oo

&)
0, if x* 0
, if x = 0

48.2 IMPULSE FUNCTION

When a large force acts for a short time, then the product of the force and the time is called
impulse in applied mechanics. The unit impulse function is the limiting function.

0<t<E
S(1)=
Lo, otherwise
The value of the function (height of the strip in the figure) becomes infinite as e >0 and
the area of the rectangle is unity.
(1) The Unit Impulse function is defined as follow: f(t)
for= 0
fort0

Area of strip = 1]
and

For example Hammerring the iron bar.

48.3 PROPERTIES

() S ) SU)dt = f(0)

f f ) i s defined at x = 0, then the action of ô() to f(r) is f (0). This is expressed by

an analytic expression.

1379
1380

o
Mathematical Phsie
) ds (0)
0
on value otj (X) very close to oris
Here, L.H.S. can depend only we can transform equatin
at x
=
a, then
If we shift the singularity

Sx) 8(x- a)dr =f()

Symbolically. f(x) 8(r
-

=f(a) 8(r- a)
a)

Example 1. Evaluatee" 6t-2)dt.

- co

Solution.Je"&t -2) dt =e** =e"lo

(2) S)8((-a)dt=-S'()

s ) 8t - a)dt
J S8 ((- a)dt [S).5 -a)-J
=

Proof.
-o

- 0-0-f' (@)=-f' a)
o(x) is function of x.
(3) an even

S-x)= 8(x)
in f ) 8t a) =fa) 8r
-

a)
Put f)
-

(4) =x

x 8x) = 0

(5) 8ax)=8(x)
al
8 a - x ) ( x -b)dr = 8(a - b)
(6)
(7) Symmetry property
(x - a) = Sa - x)

a) +o(x+aj
(8) 2-a) =F 21a onents;

Proof. AS we observed that it vanishes at x = a and x = - a and hence it has two o

Property
8x2 a?)= d[(x - a\*+ a)j= a 8(x+a)
a)TIr-a
-

x+al
a)r
S x ) ôr+
JSo)8-a)dt J =
S)ör-a)dr+)-a]

a)+
2a -a)
2a|

S ) tr a)dr +[r)ör add

-

Proved

(-)= r-a) +8x +a]

2a
 1381
Dirac-Delta Function

48.4 LAPLACE TRANSFORM

We know that

s )&t-a) =fla)

in above equation, we get

Replacingf() by e
Sa

e-a)dt e

L[Ot- a)] e

Ifa =
0, then L[6()] =
1.
4).
Laplace transform off oft
-

Example 2. Find the

Ans.
Solution. L[P -4)] =||e" PS -4)dt
=4'e4
Laplace transform of
e" ð (t -

3).
Example 3. Find the
=e-30+4) Ans.
Solution. Lfe t -3)]= e e " 8t -3)dt
0

48.5 FOURIER TRANSFORM

+o

We know that
S )t-a)dt =f(a)

above equation, we get

Replacing f(1) by e-ist in
i s t 8(t -a)dt = e-isa

e s a

0, then F.T [ô(t)]

=

Ifa =

F.T [6t- a) 2
ECERCISE 48.1

Evaluate the following:

Ans. 1
1. e t - 4)dt
Ans. e-l12 2. sin26a
Ans. 3 e
3. &0-2)dt
Find the Laplace transform of:
5. cos t log t 8(f - T) Ans. - e s log T
4. ot-4) Ans.-

Find fourier transform of

Ans. Tt
6.6.f(x)=e,|x|SE
f) 0,1x|>t
laking the limit as E - 0 and dicuss the result.