Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-methods-ii-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2013/11/d/solution
Past exam of the mathematical methods II course of the University of Oxford 2013 11 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
In a homogeneous medium and the short-wavelength ray approximation, a smooth reflecting elliptical boundary sends a ray from focus to focus after one specular reflection, by the equal-angle property just proved. Moreover, every such route has the same path length , hence the same propagation time for constant sound speed .
An ideal two-dimensional elliptical reflector, or the corresponding ellipsoidal geometry, therefore concentrates sound near the other focus; equal travel times also support coherent arrival for a monochromatic source with a consistent reflection phase. Finite wavelength, imperfect surfaces, absorption and three-dimensional room geometry limit the focusing. The result predicts a finite physical focal region, not an infinite intensity at a mathematical point.
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