Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 October 2008
E. Trefftz has discussed the problem of the torsion of a beam whose cross-section is bounded by a polygon with the help of the Schwarz-Christoffel transformation given by
where a1, a2, …, an are external angles of the polygon in the w-plane, and ξ1, ξ2, …, ξn are the points on the real ξ-axis in the t-plane that correspond to the angular points of the polygon in the w-plane. In the case of regular polygons a further transformation of the upper half of the t-plane into the interior of a circle in the z-plane with the help of the transformation
greatly simplifies the problem, and some definite results can be obtained.
* Math. Ann. 82 (1921), 306–319.Google Scholar
* This result is due to Schwarz. See Forsyth, , Theory of functions, 3rd edition, p. 768, Ex. 2.Google Scholar
* Cf. Dixon, A. C., Quart. Journ. of Math. 24 (1890), 167–233.Google Scholar
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