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Fermat's principle

noun

  1. Optics. the law that the path taken by a ray of light in going from one point to another point will be the path that requires the least time.

Fermat's principle

noun

  1. physics the principle that a ray of light passes from one point to another in such a way that the time taken is a minimum

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Fermat's principle1

First recorded in 1885–90; named after P. de Fermat

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tortuous

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