Author(s)： Yosiroh Machigashira

J. Math-for-Ind. 4A (2012) 25-33.

• File： JMI2012A-4.pdf (137KB)

Abstract
The catenary is the curve which a hanging chain forms, that is, mathematically, the graph of the function $t \mapsto c \cosh\frac{t}{c}$ for a constant $c > 0$. The study of catenaries is applied to the design of arches and suspension bridges. The surface of revolution generated by a catenary is called a catenoid. It is well-known that a catenoid is a minimal surface and the shape which a soap film between two parallel circles forms. In this article, we consider the approximation of a catenoid by combinations of some truncated cones keeping the minimality in a certain sense. In investigating the minimal combinations, the theory of the Gauss hypergeometric functions plays an important role.

Keyword(s).　 catenoid, hypergeometric function, truncated cone