Lichtpfads
Lichtpfads is the plural form of Lichtpfad, a term used in German-language physics and optics to denote a trajectory taken by light as it propagates through a medium or spacetime. The word combines Licht (light) and Pfad (path). In optics, a Lichtpfad describes the actual or hypothetical route that a light ray follows between a source and an observer, determined by boundary conditions and the optical properties of the environment.
According to Fermat's principle, light travels along paths that extremize the optical path length ∫ n ds;
In practical applications, the concept underpins ray tracing, lens design, fiber optics, and imaging systems; designers
In astrophysics, Lichtpfads correspond to the actual light routes from distant sources; gravitational lensing creates multiple
The term is often used in educational contexts and technical literature to describe the set of possible