On the application of Lorentz-Finsler geometry to model wave propagation

Abstract

The recent increasing interest in the study of Lorentz-Finsler geometry has led to several applications to model real-world physical phenomena. Our purpose is to provide a simple, step-by-step review on how to build and implement such a geometric model to describe the propagation of a classical wave satisfying Fermat's and Huygens' principles in an anisotropic and rheonomic (time-dependent) medium. The model is based on identifying the individual wave trajectories as lightlike pregeodesics of a specific Lorentz-Finsler metric, which obey a simple ODE system and can therefore be easily computed in real time.