1. Fermat’s Principle Kathy Geise April 2007
Optics
Fermat’s Principle
Kathy Geise
April 2007

2. Fermat’s Principle

3. Fermat’s principle
When a light ray travels between any two points, its path is one that requires the least time.
n2>n1

4. Fermat’s principle
Take the derivative of t with respect to x and set the derivative equal to zero.

5. Fermat’s principle

6. Snell’s Law of refraction
Fermat’s principle
Snell’s Law of refraction

7. Fermat’s Last Theorem xn+yn=zn Andrew Wiles

8. Credits
The cover photo is a picture of a solar flare in the Sun’s chromosphere recorded by Japan’s Hinode spacecraft on January 12, The magnetic vortex is roughly the size of the Earth. Resolution is 0.2-arc seconds.
Chromosphere photographed during solar eclipse.