Talk:Transfer-matrix method (optics)

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A fact from Transfer-matrix method (optics) appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know? column on 9 June 2008.

[edit] Comment

I debated proposing a merge with Ray transfer matrix analysis, but I think this technique is distinct enough to benefit from having its own article. Do others agree?--Srleffler (talk) 23:03, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm not sure to what prior debate you're referring. When I was searching on Wikipedia for existing material on TMM, it appeared to me that TMM is a very generic technique that is applied to problems with very little in common other than that the effect on a system state can be described by a matrix. See google. For example, it is also used in Anderson localization, which is not likely to resemble what's described here.

I think Wikipedia is lacking an article on the generic principle of transfer matrix method. The statistical mechanics TMM article could move to Transfer-matrix method (statistical mechanics) and instead there could be a general introduction at Transfer-matrix method, referring to the more specific articles.

Han-Kwang (t) 06:40, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

The "debate" was with myself. This is a common figure of speech in English; a synonym for "considered" or "thought about". I was not referring to a prior debate on Wikipedia.--Srleffler (talk) 06:46, 4 June 2008 (UTC)