Do You Find Geometrical Optics Frustrating?

[ice109]

do you hate it to?

note this is not an anonymous ballet in case someone votes the second option so that i can berate them.

 

[waht]

I hated optics because I vague knew what it was about. But my attitude changed when I took the class. I became fascinated quickly and developed a special appreciation for optics. Geometrical optics is just a basis for the really cool stuff. Like quasi-optics explores the use of optics for millimeter wavelengths. Yes you can use lenses as an antenna for microwaves.
Then the new frontiers of optics delve into negative index of refraction, superlens, and invisibility. So got to draw those ray diagrams. Neat, neat stuff.

 

[robphy]

Geometrical Optics is a beautiful subject.
It provides a great example of the Principle of Least Action.

 

[ice109]

Geometrical Optics is a beautiful subject.
It provides a great example of the Principle of Least Action.

i curse hecht's mother for giving birth to him, him for publishing his book on optics, and my teacher for picking it.

 

[Kurdt]

You'd get Hecht in almost every optics class anywhere in the world such is his brilliance.

 

[mgb_phys]

Hecht is the saviour - you have a copy of Hecht on your desk disguised with the cover from Playboy or sheep-fanciers-monthly on it, while pretending to read Born and Wolff.

 

[ice109]

you guys are nuts seriously. I'm not stupid so it's not like i can't read abstruse stuff but this 4th edition book i have is really terrible.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201838877/?tag=pfamazon01-20

all the poor reviews given are right on. i really don't understand what you guys see in it.

 

[robphy]

http://www.ams.org/online_bks/surv14/surv14-chIII.pdf
"Geometrics Optics" chapter
[I haven't fully read through it yet... but it looks beautiful.]

 

[ice109]

http://www.ams.org/online_bks/surv14/surv14-chIII.pdf
"Geometrics Optics" chapter
[I haven't fully read through it yet... but it looks beautiful.]

ha the authorization key was symmetrical

ha that's a graduate text i think, I've never even used the gamma function before