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Dynamic Programming, the Fermat Principle, and the Eikonal Equation Revisited

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Abstract

We derive the eikonal equation using the technique of dynamic programming. The formalism of dynamic programming is based on the procedure defining the minimum pathway, and an immediate application of the Fermat principle leads to the well-known eikonal equation of classical geometrical optics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Optometry and Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri at St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri

    V. Lakshminarayanan (Assistant Professor)

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri at St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri

    S. Varadharajan (Graduate Student)

Authors
  1. V. Lakshminarayanan
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  2. S. Varadharajan
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Lakshminarayanan, V., Varadharajan, S. Dynamic Programming, the Fermat Principle, and the Eikonal Equation Revisited. Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications 95, 713–716 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022638309280

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022638309280

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