16.

3 Operational Transforms 751

then the Laplace transform exists. For each f(t), Equation (16.27) places a
limitation on the possible values of a. The abscissa of convergence is defined
as the value ac such that for
(16.28)
Equation (16.27) holds. The range of values defined by Equation (16.28) is
called the region of convergence, and the Laplace transform exists only for
values of s = a + jw confined to this region. Regions of convergence appear
as vertical strips in the s plane.
As an example, let us find ac for f (I) = e"'. We are seeking a range of
values for a such that lim le"'le-"
1
= 0, or lim e<a-o)t = 0. Clearly, any
t-+00 t-+00
number a > a will meet this requirement, indicating that this function has
ac =a. The region of convergence is the portion of the s plane to the right of
the vertical line positioned at a = a. If a > 0, this line lies to the right of the
j w axis; if a < 0, it lies to the left.
An example of a function for which the Laplace transform does not exist is
f(t) = e
12
. This is so because no a can be found that will make lim le
12
le-(T
1
HOO
approach zero. Fortunately, the functions of interest in engineering do admit
Laplace transforms.
Exercise 16.3 Find the abscissa of convergence of (a) 8(t),
(b) te-"'u(t), (c) (e-"' cosbt)u(t), and (d) (coshbt)u(t).
ANSWER (a) ac = 0; (b) ac =-a; (c) ac =-a; (d) ac = (b(.
16.3 OPERATIONAL TRANSFORMS
The Laplace transform and its inverse affect not only functions but also opera-
tions upon functions. In this section we investigate how time operations upon
f(t) translate into complex-frequency operations upon F(s), and vice versa.
Linearity
Given two causal functions f
1
(t) and j,(l) having Laplace transforms F
1
(s)
and F,(s), we wish to find the Laplace transform of their linear combination
af
1
(t) + bj,(t), where a and bare constants. By definition,
.:f(af, (t) + bj,(t)) = 1
00
[af, (I)+ bj,(t)]e-" dt
=a 1"' f1 (t)e-" dt + b 1
00
j,(t)e-" dt
or
(16.29)