The Catenary: Daniel Gent

The Catenary
Daniel Gent
December 10, 2008
Daniel Gent
The Catenary
History of the catenary.
The catenary is dened by the shape formed by a hanging chain under normal conditions. The name catenary comes from the latin word for chain catena.
Daniel Gent
The Catenary
History of the catenary.
The catenary is dened by the shape formed by a hanging chain under normal conditions. The name catenary comes from the latin word for chain catena. The shape of the catenary was originally thought to be a parabola by Galileo, but this was proved false by the German mathmatitian Jungius in 1663. It was not until 1691 that the true shape of the catenary was discovered to be the hyperbolic cosine in a joint work by Leibnez, Huygens, and Bernoulli.
Daniel Gent
The Catenary
Derivation of the catenary.

The approach used by Leibnez, and his coworkers was as follows.
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

The approach used by Leibnez, and his coworkers was as follows. The forces on the chain at the point (x,y) will be the tension in the chain (T) which is tangent to the chain, the weight of the chain (W), and the horizontal pull (H) at the origin. Now the magnitude of the weight is proportional to the distance (s) from the origin to the point (x,y).
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

The approach used by Leibnez, and his coworkers was as follows. The forces on the chain at the point (x,y) will be the tension in the chain (T) which is tangent to the chain, the weight of the chain (W), and the horizontal pull (H) at the origin. Now the magnitude of the weight is proportional to the distance (s) from the origin to the point (x,y). Thus the sum of the forces W and H must be equal to T , but since T is tangent to the chain the slope of H + W must equal f (x ). Therefore f (x ) = s ||W || = (where is the weight density) ||H || ||W ||
Daniel Gent
The Catenary
The hanging chain.
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

Now this may be written. f (x ) = ||W ||
x
1 + (f (t ))2 (by the formula for arc length.)

0
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

x

0
This is the same as the second order dieretial equation f (x ) = 1 + (f (t ))2 (where = .) ||W ||
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

x

0
This is the same as the second order dieretial equation f (x ) = This solves to f (x ) = 1 1 + cosh(x ). 1 + (f (t ))2 (where = .) ||W ||
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

Now, although it is dicult to arrive at this solution check to ensure that it holds is an easy matter.
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

Now, although it is dicult to arrive at this solution check to ensure that it holds is an easy matter. First take the rst an second derivitives. f (x ) = sinh(x ) f (x ) = cosh(x )
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

Now, although it is dicult to arrive at this solution check to ensure that it holds is an easy matter. First take the rst an second derivitives. f (x ) = sinh(x ) f (x ) = cosh(x ) Now input these to our dierential equation. ( cosh(x )) = cosh(x ) = 1 + (sinh(x ))2 cosh2 (x )
cosh(x ) = cosh(x )
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

Now, although it is dicult to arrive at this solution check to ensure that it holds is an easy matter. First take the rst an second derivitives. f (x ) = sinh(x ) f (x ) = cosh(x ) Now input these to our dierential equation. ( cosh(x )) = cosh(x ) = 1 + (sinh(x ))2 cosh2 (x )
cosh(x ) = cosh(x )
1 Thus f (x ) = + 1
cosh(x ) is a solution.
The Catenary
Daniel Gent
Properties of the catenary.
A square can roll smoothly without slippage on a series of inverted catenaries.
Daniel Gent
The Catenary
A square can roll smoothly without slippage on a series of inverted catenaries. In fact any normal polygon can roll on a series of catenaries. Though a triangle will not work in a real life system even though it should in theory.
Daniel Gent
The Catenary
A square can roll smoothly without slippage on a series of inverted catenaries. In fact any normal polygon can roll on a series of catenaries. Though a triangle will not work in a real life system even though it should in theory. A second way to derive the catenary is to trace the vertex of a parabola as it rolls along the x-axis.
Daniel Gent
The Catenary
The catenary with complex numbers.

One of the more odd proberties of the catenary is how it behaves when numbers with only an imaginary part are the inputs. Ex: cosh ix
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

e Recall that cosh(x ) = e + . 2 Also recall Eulers equation e i = cos + i sin
x x
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

x x
Thus cosh(i ) =
(cos + i sin ) + (cos i sin ) 2 2 cos = 2 = cos
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

x x
Thus cosh(i ) =
(cos + i sin ) + (cos i sin ) 2 2 cos = 2 = cos
A similar process will show that sinh i = i sin .
Daniel Gent
The Catenary

The Catenary: Daniel Gent

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The Catenary

December 10, 2008

History of the catenary.

History of the catenary.

Derivation of the catenary.

Derivation of the catenary.

Derivation of the catenary.

The hanging chain.

Derivation of the catenary.

1 + (f (t ))2 (by the formula for arc length.)

Derivation of the catenary.

1 + (f (t ))2 (by the formula for arc length.)

Derivation of the catenary.

1 + (f (t ))2 (by the formula for arc length.)

Derivation of the catenary.

Derivation of the catenary.

Derivation of the catenary.

Derivation of the catenary.

Properties of the catenary.

A square can roll smoothly without slippage on a series of inverted catenaries.

Properties of the catenary.

Properties of the catenary.

The catenary with complex numbers.

The catenary with complex numbers.

The catenary with complex numbers.

(cos + i sin ) + (cos i sin ) 2 2 cos = 2 = cos

The catenary with complex numbers.

(cos + i sin ) + (cos i sin ) 2 2 cos = 2 = cos

A similar process will show that sinh i = i sin .

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