Fundamental problems for infinite plate with a curvilinear hole having finite poles

In the present paper Muskhelishvili's complex variable method of solving tw o-dimensional elasticity problems has been applied to derive exact expressi ons for Gaursat's functions for the first and second fundamental problems o f the infinite plate weakened by a hole having many poles and arbitrary sha pe which is conformally mapped on the domain outside a unit circle by means of general rational mapping function. Some applications are investigated. The interesting cases when the shape of the hole takes different shapes are included as special cases. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reser ved.