Introduction

doi:10.1117/3.2207310.ch1

Introduction

Book: Special Functions for Optical Science and Engineering

Author(s): Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan, L. Srinivasa Varadharajan

Published: 2015

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.2207310.ch1

Author Affiliations +

Abstract

As optical scientists and engineers, we are all familiar with elementary transcendental functions such as the exponential, trigonometric, and logarithmic functions. There are also higher transcendental functions such as the gamma (or factorial), Legendre, and Bessel functions, which are of immense use in solving optical problems. These functions are what are generally known as special functions that arise as solutions to differential equations describing certain physical phenomena/quantities.