Definition:Caustic
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Definition
A caustic is a curve formed by reflected or refracted light.
It is formed as the envelope of the reflected or refracted rays.
Examples
Teacup
The pattern formed by the reflection of the inside of a teacup upon itself is an example of a caustic.
Also see
- Results about caustics can be found here.
Sources
- 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): caustic
- 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): caustic