On the recovery of the time average of continuous and discrete time functions from their Laplace and z-transforms

Abstract

The determination of the time averages of continuous functions, or discrete time sequences is important for various problems in physics and engineering, and the generalized final-value theorems of the Laplace and z-transforms, relevant to functions and sequences not having a limit at infinity, can be very helpful in this determination. In the present contribution, we complete the proofs of these theorems and extend them to more general time functions and sequences with a well-defined average. Besides formal proofs, some simple examples and heuristic and pedagogical comments on the physical nature of the limiting processes defining the averaging are given.