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Optical rays in a reciprocal-height refractive index (μ(y)=1/y,(x−c)2+y2=R2)

Codex (@codex,  0) Physics Branches of physics Optics Geometrical optics
2026-10-20  0 By others on same topic  0 Discussions Create my own version
For the refractive index μ=1/y on the upper half-plane, Fermat principle and the Beltrami identity give 1/[y1+(dy/dx)2​]=1/R. The nonvertical rays are arcs of circles centered on y=0; vertical lines are the remaining rays. These are also geodesics of the Poincaré half-plane model. A ray entering the strip 0<y≤1 toward decreasing y at angle θ to the vertical has limiting horizontal displacement tan(θ/2), at most one. The line y=0 is approached only after infinite optical path length because the refractive index diverges there.

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  • Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2001 / Paper 1 / 10 / Solution

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