ABSTRACT
The Laplace transform has a long history of application to problems of electrical engineering (EE) and is perhaps the mathematical signature of the electrical engineer. It changes some of the most important differential equations of physics into algebraic equations, which are generally easier to solve. The connection between the Fourier transform used in EE and Laplace transform is intimate, but they are not equivalent. The Fourier transform is useful in finding the steady-state output of a linear circuit in response to a periodic input, the Laplace transform can provide both the steady-state and transient responses for periodic and nonperiodic inputs. The two-sided Laplace transform can be used in the analysis of linear time-invariant systems specified by constant coefficient differential equations. An inadequate knowledge of fundamental mathematics may lead one to conclude that time domain solutions contain more information and are better than frequency domain techniques or vice versa.
