Certain two-dimensional mixed boundary-value problems for wedge-shaped regions and dual integral equations

Abstract

Finding the distribution of stress in earth dams containing cracks is an outstanding problem of soil mechanics. Even the simplest mathematical model, viz., that of a wedge containing a plane crack which is symmetrically situated along the bisector plane of the angle of the wedge, with the plane strain assumption of the infinitesimal theory of elasticity, presents a difficult problem of solving the bi-harmonic equation subject to mixed boundary conditions. While elasticity problems related to wedge-shaped bodies have been investigated, it appears little attention has been paid to the mixed boundary-value problems.As a first step towards the solution of the mixed boundary value problem for the biharmonic equation, we discuss in this paper the solution of Laplace's equationfor wedge-shaped regions subject to mixed type of conditions on the boundary. If we assume that φ does not depend on z, the equation (1.1) is reduced to the equation