(348d) The Lambert Function Should be in the Engineering Mathematical Toolbox

Discovered well over two centuries ago and little used for long, the Lambert function has emerged in an increasing number of science and engineering applications in the last couple of decades. Here we present cases studies relevant to the diverse interests of chemical engineers. We show how the Lambert function can be used for both analysis and computation. While some of these studies expound on prior literature results, the rest are new. We conjecture that if this tool becomes more widely known, many more instances of application will appear. Therefore, given its simplicity and usefulness, we would reasonably argue that the Lambert function should be included in the standard mathematical toolbox of chemical engineers.