Method of Laurent series expansion for internal crack problems

This paper presents a general method of analysis of internal cracks in isotropic homogeneous elastic media. The proposed method is based on the Laurent series expansions of the complex potentials which are consistent with the singlevaluedness of displacements as well as stresses and strains. It applies to the problems of longitudinal shear, plane stress or plane strain and classical plate bending in which the stress state is completely characterized by one or two complex potentials.