All You Need To Know About Bessel Functions

Those were the days when an astronomer could still make substantial contributions to mathematics! Bessel functions, first introduced by the German astronomer Friedrich Bessel in the early 19th century, are mathematical functions that arise in various areas of science, engineering, and mathematics. They were and have since become fundamental tools in many fields, including physics, signal processing, and applied mathematics. For Bessel, it was probably mainly the applications in optics, that interested him most: Bessel functions play a crucial role in the study of diffraction, which is the bending or spreading of waves around obstacles or through narrow openings. The diffraction patterns produced by circular apertures or obstacles can be mathematically described using Bessel functions. And to understand diffraction patterns is of course crucial if you want to build better telescopes, as Bessel did. <a href="https://www.cantorsparadise.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-bessel-functions-c4d630881987">Website</a>