Question: While the solution for IV can certainly be reached using numerical search methods, I wonder if a high precision closed-form approximation exists.

For example, there is a very robust (precise within 10^-12) approximation for Bachelier IV ([paper](http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13504860802583436) / [SSRN](http://ssrn.com/abstract=990747)), but is there anything similar for Black'76 and/or Black-Scholes?

Answer: 
The method described in [Hallerbach (2004)](http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=567721) always worked well for me.

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> We derive an estimator for Black-Scholes-Merton implied volatility that, when compared to the familiar Corrado & Miller [JBaF, 1996] estimator, has substantially higher approximation accuracy and extends over a wider region of moneyness.
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Peter Jaeckel methods from the papers mentioned are the industry standard used by most practitioners to get IV. 

In addition in practice the article you mention is probably of very little use because the analytic approximation you refer to in the SSRN paper needs both call and put price to extract the implied vol however usually only one of the 2 instruments is liquid when you are not close to ATM.