Physical Ray Tracing Part 1: Understanding the Eikonal Equation

This video describes the Eikonal Equation from the field of Geometric Optics. It can be used to describe rays within mediums where the speed of light (refractive index) changes gradually, instead of snells law, like for example the atmosphere.

[kormitigrov]

A very helpful way of explaining. The author knows how to explain. Thanks!

[Snowmaners]

This is a most excellent series of videos. Developing the intuition of the equation with the map of Britain is extremely helpful. The explanations are very lucid and very well presented. Giving physical explanations of the equations is also very helpful. Thanks very much!

[flaguser]

it's like an inverted version of the more familiar speed: v = dr / dt.

anyways, thanks a lot! i had always seen the eikonal mentioned in optics books but never spent time to delve deeper into it.

[martinblazek]

Thank you for clearing this up for me :)

[apelogecsacrecoeur]

Great series of videos ! thank you. One question : phi is depicted as a travel time to match the exemple with the travel time through Britain but, in electromagnetics, phi is more analogous to a travel distance, isn't it ?

[elhllvj]

the snell’s law seems wrong. It should be v2/v1

[firstplacegaming]

Hi, just a quick note I ought to add regarding the map of Britain the travel time for going from one point on the 3 hour ring to another point on the 4 hour ring is not 1 hour for most points, and even the points that are parallel to each other. That's not how roads work. The travel time is based on taking the largest roads up until you reach a point so you're going to have to go backwards at some points actually to get the fastest time by getting on the largest road with the highest speed limit. In other words 4-3=!1