Chapter 7.9: Laplace Transforms

[Jason Hamilton]

Are we expected to know how to use a Laplace transform to solve a non-homogeneous system?
This material is covered in chapter 6, which I do not know if we will cover by the end of the year. I cannot think of a type of system where a solution can only be obtained from this method, so I'm hesitant to learn it if we will always be allowed to pick which method to use when solving a non-homogeneous system.
More generally my question is, even if we do not cover it in class, how marginal will the value of this method be compared to undetermined coefficients or variation of parameters, on the final or future courses?

[Victor Ivrii]

Are we expected to know how to use a Laplace transform to solve a non-homogeneous system?
This material is covered in chapter 6, which I do not know if we will cover by the end of the year. I cannot think of a type of system where a solution can only be obtained from this method, so I'm hesitant to learn it if we will always be allowed to pick which method to use when solving a non-homogeneous system.
More generally my question is, even if we do not cover it in class, how marginal will the value of this method be compared to undetermined coefficients or variation of parameters, on the final or future courses?

No, we will not. So, from point of view of this class you can ignore it.

On the other hand, Laplace transform is a mathematical foundation of the Heaviside operational calculus
which is useful as a shortcut