Another Incarnation of the Lambert W Function

TL;DR

This paper discusses the Lambert W function, its historical development, and presents a simple problem that can be solved using this function, highlighting its practical utility.

Contribution

It provides a clear example problem solvable by the Lambert W function, illustrating its application and importance.

Findings

The Lambert W function has practical applications in solving specific equations.

Historical context of the Lambert W function's development is summarized.

A straightforward problem solvable with the W function is demonstrated.

Abstract

The Lambert W function was introduced by Euler in 1779, but was not well-known until it was implemented in Maple, and the seminal paper of Corless, Gonnet, Hare, Jeffrey and Khuth was published in 1996. In this note we describe a simple problem, which can be straightforwardly solved in terms of the W function.