The Heaviside function , also called theta , step , threshold , step , jump or unit jump function, is a function that is often used in mathematics and physics . It is named after the British mathematician and physicist Oliver Heaviside (1850–1925).
The Heaviside function has the value zero for any negative number , otherwise the value one . The Heaviside function is continuous everywhere except for the digit . Written in formulas this means:
The function has numerous applications, for example in communications engineering or as a mathematical filter: multiplying each value of any continuous function point by point by the corresponding value of the Heaviside function results in a function that has the value zero to the left ( deterministic function), but to the right of it corresponds to the original function.
Alternative representations
The value of the Heaviside function at this point can also be set as follows. To mark the definition one writes
with . So it can represent any set as long as it contains 0 and 1. Usually, however, is used.
This definition is characterized by the property that then is.
By choosing and consequently one achieves that the equations
The Heaviside function is neither differentiable in the classical sense nor is it weakly differentiable . Nevertheless, one can define a derivation via the theory of distributions . The derivative of the Heaviside function in this sense is the Dirac delta distribution , which is used in physics to describe point sources of fields.
A heuristic explanation for this formula is obtained if one and suitable approximated z. B. by
such as
whereby the limit value is considered in each case .
An antiderivative of the Heaviside step function is obtained by splitting the integral according to the two cases and from the case distinction in the definition:
for true
In fact, only the first case occurs and it applies
.
Taken together, then
respectively
.
The set of all antiderivatives of the Heaviside function is thus