Introduction

Why Optics?

Optics is the branch of physics that studies light — how it propagates, bends, interferes, and interacts with matter. It underpins everything from eyeglasses and cameras to fiber-optic internet, lasers, and quantum computers.

This course implements the core equations of optics in pure Python. No libraries — just the laws of physics expressed as functions. Each lesson introduces one concept, explains the mathematics, and asks you to write the formula as code.

What You Will Learn

This course contains 15 lessons organized into 3 chapters:

1. Geometric Optics — Snell's law, mirrors, thin lenses, the lensmaker's equation, and optical instruments.
2. Wave Optics — Speed of light in media, Young's double-slit interference, thin film interference, diffraction, and polarization.
3. Modern Optics — Photon energy, the photoelectric effect, lasers, fiber optics, dispersion, and optical path length.

Let's start with the law that governs how light bends at every interface in the universe.