Fresnel's original interpretation of complex numbers in 19th century optics

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

In 1823, Fresnel published an original (physical) interpretation of complex numbers in his investigations of refraction and reflection of polarized light. This is arguably the first time that complex numbers were given a physical interpretation, which led to a better understanding of elliptical and circular polarizations. This rather unknown episode of the history of physics is described in this work, and some of the pedagogical lessons that can be extracted from it are discussed.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAmerican Journal of Physics
Volume86
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)245-249
Number of pages5
ISSN0002-9505
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2018

ID: 193587503