The Malus-Dupin theorem, a result in geometrical optics discovered by Etienne-Louis Malus in 1808 and clarified by Charles Dupin in 1822, states that if a pencil of light rays perpendicular to some surface undergoes any sequence of reflections and refractions through homogeneous media, the resulting pencil of rays remains perpendicular to some other surface. William Rowan Hamilton later gave an independent proof of the theorem using his own Hamiltonian formulation of optics.
Facts
StatementA pencil of light rays perpendicular to some surface, after any number of reflections and refractions, remains perpendicular to some other surface. 1 Classification
Statement FormCharacterization Theorem 1 Connections
Has Statement Form
Proved By
Source Malus-Dupin theorem (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Malus-Dupin theorem - Wikipedia
Introduction, paragraph 2, last sentence
The theorem states that the resulting pencil of light rays is still perpendicular to some other surface.
Lead section
The Malus-Dupin theorem is a theorem in geometrical optics discovered by Étienne-Louis Malus in 1808 and clarified by Charles Dupin in 1822.
View the SourceMalus-Dupin theorem (Wikipedia)
Proved By: William Rowan Hamilton, Lead
Hamilton proved it as a simple application of his Hamiltonian optics method.
In Group: Electromagnetism, Optics and Continuum Mechanics, Lead section
The Malus-Dupin theorem is a theorem in geometrical optics discovered by Étienne-Louis Malus in 1808 and
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.