Simplified Method of Tracing Rays: Through Any Optical System of Lenses, Prisms, and Mirrors (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Ludwik Silberstein

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0266398421 ISBN 13: 9780266398424

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Master the geometry of light with a concise, vector-first approach to tracing rays through any optical system.

This volume introduces practical, unit-vector methods to model reflection, refraction, and the behavior of complex arrangements like prisms and plane mirrors. By focusing on the core laws and clear transfer formulas, it helps you predict how rays move and rotate through multiple interfaces.

The book targets readers who want a workable, math-forward toolkit for designing and analyzing optical setups. It emphasizes vector algebra as a language for space relations, then builds up to multi-surface systems with practical examples and guided exercises. You’ll learn to represent prisms and mirrors with a compact set of vectors and to derive emergent ray directions from general configurations.

• Learn the fundamental reflection and refraction laws in a vector form that is easy to apply to multiple surfaces.
• Understand how to model prismatic systems and the way a system’s edges act as rotation axes for rays.
• Use transfer formulas to track position and direction through a sequence of interfaces.
• Explore differential properties of pencils of rays, including how small changes affect rays through a system.

Ideal for students and practitioners who want a clear, hands-on method for tracing rays without heavy abstractions. This edition is well suited to those studying optics, instrument design, or photonics who prefer a vector-based, step-by-step approach to ray tracing.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0266398421
• ISBN 13: 9780266398424
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 50