Optics: Learning by Computing, with Examples Using Maple, MathCad®, Matlab®, Mathematica®,... at Dominant Systems Book Store

Some praise for the previous edition:

OPTICS AND PHOTONICS NEWS [OCTOBER 2004]

"This book and its companion CD cover geometrical optics, electromagnetic theory, interference, diffraction and coherence theory. Chapters on optical constants, blackbody radiation, emission and absorption, lasers, holography and Fourier transform spectroscopy broaden its scope. The packet contains over 170 MathCAD files linked to specific topics and applications. … [T]he main virtues of the book are the excellent photographs of basic optical phenomena. … The index is comprehensive. … [The book] will certainly be helpful to … students in an introductory optics course."

THE PHYSICIST (March/April 2004)

"The author has developed a suite of model programs covering the whole spectrum of optics from classical geometric ray to wave and modern optics. Illustrative resonator and waveguide modes are also part of the program mix as well as introductory laser theory. In addition to an optics course, this book would be useful in a 3rd or 4th year electromagnetism course as well as an introduction to lasers and resonators. There are certainly more topics in this text than could possibly be covered in the typical 30 hour one semester course. All formulas and diagrams are provided in Adobe .pdf files as well for transcription into other software suites or inclusion in notes. This book is a comprehensive optics text that has been written in a mode to encourage students to run the models, do the calculations and generate their own illustrations. The book would serve as an excellent text for undergraduate use and reference for laboratory simulation experiments."

From the reviews of the second edition:

"Möller (physics, NJIT) presents introductory-level coverage of the basics in optics and provides model computational files for simulation of the governing laws. … The accompanying CD-ROM contains more than 170 MathCad, MATLAB, Mathematica, and Maple files offering programs for solving problems linked to specific topics and applications. … Selected classical textbook references are listed at the end of the book. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates." (O. Eknoyan, CHOICE, Vol. 45 (6), 2008)

"In this book Möller presents an impressive procedure of studying optics using the computer through the packages of Algebraic Computation. … It is very well written. … I believe that a dedicated professor could use this book to design physics projects with his interested students. It would be a pleasure for both." (Everton Murilo C. Abreu, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2009 c)

Customer Reviews & Comments
Traditionally, optics was often taught using a lab. Where you had an optical bench, replete with many elements like prisms, beam splitters, waveguides etc. If possible, you really should learn optics in a hands-on way like that. But suppose now you have a class in optics. There are customary texts for this, like Optics (4th Edition). But this new book takes a different approach. In essence, it offers a simulated optical bench. Using the power of a commonly affordable personal computer. Along with an impressive set of math packages. The book plays no favourites amongst these, in order to maximise its readership. Moeller is to be commended for this ecumenical approach. Now, you can tweak numerous parameters within setups inside the packages, and see the results. Yeah, it is all simulated. But if it is the concepts you need, then you can grasp them in the book's manner. Another consideration is that not every university can necessarily afford the optical lab. Or imagine a reader studying this subject at home. So in these cases, the book is also a boon.

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