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arXiv · 1809.07047

Lambert W function and hanging chain revisited

Masato Ito
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Abstract

In classical physics, calculating the slack of a hanging chain is a problem that has attracted interest. This study aims to solve this problem through experiment and theory. When the length and distance of both the ends of a hanging chain are given, the length of slack can be expressed by a Lambert W function or an irrational function within a certain distance. Herein, a simple observation of the slack is presented. The result obtained is one of the applications of the Lambert W function in the field of physics. Though the shape of a hanging chain is well-known to be a catenary, the calculation of slack possesses richer aspects of mathematical physics.

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Masato Ito. 2018-09-19. Lambert W function and hanging chain revisited. https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.07047

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