(Hanging cable) It can be shown that the curve y(x) of an inextensible flexible homogeneous

cable hanging between two fixed points is obtained by solving

1 y'2

y" k

, where the constant k depends on the weight. This

curve is called a catenary (from Latin catena the chain). Find y(x), assuming k1 and
those fixed points are (1, 0) and (1,0) in a vertical xy-plane.

dy
dx

y'

Set

k 1 and y 1 0, y1 0

1 y'2

y" k

z , y"

dz
dx

The original

equation becomes as
dz
dx

k 1 z2

dz # k dx

2
1 z

ln z 1 z 2 kx C *

z 1 z 2 C1e kx ; C1 e C *

1 z 2 C1e kx z

1 z 2 C1e kx z

2 C12e 2kx z 2 2C1ze kz

kx
kx
C
2C1 ze kx C12 e 2kx 1; z e
C12 e 2kx 1 1 e kx e
2C1
2
2C 1

Since

dy
dx

kx
kx

y zdx C 2 1 C1e kx e
dx C 2 1 C1e kx e

C 2
2
C1
2k
C1

kx

General sol. y 21k C1e kx eC 1 C 2

Substitute the boundary values, 1, 0 and 1, 0 and k = 1 into the general solution
1 C e 1 e C 0
2
2 1
C1
1 C e e 1 C 0
1

2
2
C1

1
e e C 1 C1 0; C 1 C1 0
1

e e 1

C1 1, C 2

C1 1 or 1

e e 1

C1 1, C 2

Particular sol.

e e 1

y 1 e x e x

e e 1

or y 1 e x e x

depends on the choice of

y-axis orientation.
# Set z tan , dz sec 2 d
dz

1 z 2

sec 2

2
d sec d sec d ln sec tan
1 tan 2
sec 2

1 x2 x

ln

Set
dy
dx

y'
zdz

z dz k 1 z 2 ;
dy

zdz

1 z2

1 z2

y"

z,

kdy Integrate both sides

k dy C1 dy C1

k 1

1 z 2 2 y C1; 1 z 2 y C1 2 ; z 2 y C1 2 1
1

dy
dx

y C1 2 1;

ln y C1

dy

y C1 2 1

y C1 2 1

dx C *

x C * ln y C1

y C1 2 1 x C *

y C1 y C1 2 1 C 2 e x ; C 2 e C *
y C1 2 1 C 2 e x y C1

y C1 2 1 C 2 e x y C1

C 22 e 2 x y C1 2 2C 2 e x y C1

1 C 22 e 2 x 2C 2 e x y C1 C 22 e 2 x 2C 2 e x y 2C1C 2 e x C 2 e x C 2 e x 2C1 2C 2 e x y

2C 2 e x y C 2 e x C 2 e x 2C1 1; y 1 C 2 e x 2C1 1 e x
2
2C 2

General sol.:

y 1 C 2 e x 1 e x C1
2
C2

With the boundary conditions 1, 0 , 1, 0

We get
1 C e 1 1 e C 0
2
1
2
C 2

1 C e 1 e 1 C 0
2
1
2
C2

From and

C 2 1, C1 1 e e 1

Particular sol.:

y 1 e x e x 1 e e 1
2