of cat-heads and catenaries

[victor steinbok]

Wilson is absolutely correct, but mathematical use certainly precedes
any architectural use. If anything, architectural terminology is
derived from its mathematics.

VS-)

On 9/15/10, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Wed, Sep 15, 2010 at 5:13 PM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> The "hanging chain curve" has
>> been known as "catenary" in mathematical parlance
>
> It's also used in architecture. The Arch at Saint Louis is a catenary
> curve, often defined as a "hanging-chain curve" when dumbed down for
> the polloi.
>
> --
> -Wilson

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