A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
The Ptolemy-Alhazen problem and quadric surface mirror reflection
Authors: Fujimura Masayo, Mocanu Marcelina, Vuorinen Matti
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Publication year: 2022
Journal: Complex Variables and Elliptic Equations
Journal name in source: COMPLEX VARIABLES AND ELLIPTIC EQUATIONS
Journal acronym: COMPLEX VAR ELLIPTIC
Number of pages: 19
ISSN: 1747-6933
eISSN: 1747-6941
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17476933.2022.2084537
Web address : https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17476933.2022.2084537
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/175834703
We discuss the problem of the reflection of light on spherical and quadric surface mirrors. In the case of spherical mirrors, this problem is known as the Alhazen problem. For the spherical mirror problem, we focus on the reflection property of an ellipse and show that the catacaustic curve of the unit circle follows naturally from the equation obtained from the reflection property of an ellipse. Moreover, we provide an algebraic equation that solves Alhazen's problem for quadric surface mirrors.
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