Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/iii/paper-338/2/a/iv/solution

Differentiate the grating equation with incidence fixed:
The second formula is local to a spectrum centered on the optical camera optical axis, where to first order. Since the illuminated surface width projects to optical camera beam width ,
The expression takes positive diffraction order and width magnitudes. Off-axis, a photodetector mapping also has a factor; the exam's compact formula uses the local paraxial mapping.

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