simple math question whats the derivative of the unit step function?

[mchammer187]

i am guessing it is infinity at t=0 u(t)

and infinity at t=5 for u(t-5)

negative inifinty at t= 3 for -u(t-3)

 

[Palek]

You guessed right. It is called the unit impulse or Dirac's delta function. Imagine a function that takes the value of n for t=[0 , 1/n], where n->infinity.

 

[Calin]

You guessed wrong - the function it's not continous, so it's not derivable.
However, it's derivable on intervals

UPDATE - the previous answer is the answer of the physics.
The answer I give here it the mathematic one.
So both answers are correct in the eyes of well chosen people
Calin

 

[Palek]

In signal processing and control systems engineering the unit pulse is considered the derivative of the unit step for practical purposes. Naturally, by the strict definitions of calculus discontinuous functions do not have derivatives at their points of discontinuity, but an estimate of the derivative can always be given.

 

[LanEvoVI]

Yeh...I've been taught over and over in my engineering classes that the unit impulse function is the derivative of the unit step.