Timeline for Refraction across two interfaces: is it correct to use Snell's law as constraint in an application of Fermat's principle?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
3 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 27, 2021 at 9:02 | history | edited | Qmechanic♦ | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Added explanation
|
| Dec 24, 2021 at 14:10 | comment | added | XavierStuvw | The OP was considering to insert a constraint in the expression of the traverse time, so that its minimization had provided one equation in one unknown and a refracted ray could have been traced. This constraint was Snell's law. However, he sensed this was a conceptual mistake since he would have introduced a (local) solution in the set up of the problem. A sort of begging the question. In fact, differentiating the traverse time as a functional of n variables provides n relationships. The Fermat problem of refraction across multiple interfaces leads to a system of Snell statements | |
| Dec 24, 2021 at 12:16 | history | answered | Qmechanic♦ | CC BY-SA 4.0 |