This classic text provides a comprehensive overview of the principles of optics and their applications. It covers the properties and behavior of light, the nature of lenses and mirrors, and the principles of spectroscopy and polarization. It also includes discussions of the wave theory of light and the nature of electromagnetic radiation. Aimed at advanced students and researchers in physics and engineering, this book provides a solid foundation in the fundamental principles of optics and their practical applications. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.