What is the approximation used here?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around an approximation used in a paper regarding the beamwidth and directivity of large scanning arrays. Participants are examining a specific mathematical expression and its simplification under the assumption that certain variables are small.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the validity of the approximation, noting a discrepancy in the resulting factors when applying a small angle approximation to the sine functions.
  • Another participant points out a potential error in the original expression, specifically regarding the inclusion of "-1+1".
  • A different participant provides an alternative approach that leads to a different factor, suggesting that the algebra involved could yield different results depending on the treatment of negative indices.
  • One participant expresses gratitude for the responses and indicates a willingness to revisit the calculations based on the feedback received.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the correctness of the approximation or the algebraic manipulations involved. Multiple competing views and interpretations of the mathematical expressions remain present.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved aspects regarding the assumptions made about the smallness of variables and the implications of the algebraic transformations. The discussion reflects a complex interplay of mathematical reasoning without definitive conclusions.

Unconscious
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I'm reading a paper (Beamwidth and directivity of large scanning arrays, R. S. Elliott, Appendix A) in which the author starts from this expression:

##\frac{\sin\left [ \left ( 2N+1 \right ) u_0\right ]}{\sin(u_0)}\sum_{p=-P}^Pa_p\cos(p\pi)\left [\frac{\sin(u_0)}{\sin(u_p)} -1+1 \right ]##

where ##a_p=a_{-p}## and ##u_p=\frac{\pi L}{(N+1)\lambda}\left(\cos \theta'-\cos\theta_0+\frac{p\lambda}{L}\right)##, and says that we can approximate it in the following way:

##( 2N+1)\frac{\sin\left [ \left ( 2N+1 \right ) u_0\right ]}{( 2N+1)u_0}\left \{ a_0+\sum_{p=1}^P2a_p\cos(p\pi) \right \} - ( 2N+1)\frac{\sin\left [ \left ( 2N+1 \right ) u_0\right ]}{( 2N+1)u_0}\sum_{p=1}^P2a_p\cos(p\pi)\frac{p^2}{p^2-K^2}##

where ##K=\frac{L}{\lambda}\left(\cos\theta'-\cos\theta_0\right)##, because "##u_0## and ##u_p## are small and ##P## is a small integer".

I simply can't understand why. My attempt, using ##\sin u_p\approx u_p##, gives the same approximate expression, but with the difference that I have a factor ##\frac{p}{p+K}## instead of the factor ##\frac{p^2}{p^2-K^2}##.

What am I missing?
 
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The first line looks funny. -1+1 at end?? I went no further.
 
I didn't work out every single detail, but I got a term that is ## K/(K+p) ##. When the negative ## p's ## are summed, this will change that to a ## K/(K-p) ##. (Notice the final sum is over positive ## p ##). The common denominator becomes ## K^2-p^2 ##. It's a lot of algebra, but if the author was careful, he might have got it right.
Edit: Notice ##2(1-\frac{p^2}{p^2-K^2})=2 \frac{K^2}{K^2-p^2}=\frac{K}{K+p}+\frac{K}{K-p} ##.
I think the author got it right.
 
Thanks for your answer, tomorrow I'll try to do calculations again.
Thank you again :)
 
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