Investigation of Reflection from Curved Mirrors on a Plane in the Wolfram Mathematica

Abstract

In this article, the study of the geometry of the flat shapes reflection from curved lines located in the plane of these shapes continues. The paper is devoted to a more detailed description of reflection from the analytical geometry point of view. In addition, the range of proposed tasks has been significantly expanded. An algorithm for reflecting zero-dimensional and one-dimensional objects from plane curves is compiled, and corresponding illustrations are given. For the first time, the authors have obtained equations that allow us to construct reflections of a point from second-order curves: a circle, an ellipse, a parabola and a hyperbola, as well as from high-order curves: Bernoulli lemniscates and cardioids [17], [24], [13], [25], [23], [22]. In addition, equations for the reflection results of one-dimensional objects: a segment and a circle, from the same plane curves were obtained. Similar studies are being conducted in the works [2], [1], [32], [28], [3], [4]. All equations are accompanied by blueprints of special cases of reflections obtained using the Wolfram Mathematica mathematical package [18], [19]. In addition, the application contains the source codes, which gives the reader to configure the reflection parameters themselves on condition having access this program, as well as visually assess the change in the reflection pattern when changing these parameters for various types of flat mirrors. This article demonstrates the possibilities that the obtained equations provide, and the prospects for further work, which consist in obtaining new equations of objects reflected from other flat mirrors.