THE GENERALIZED MULTIPOLE TECHNIQUE

The generalized multipole technique is a new method for solving electromagnetic boundary value problems. A set of basis functions is used which may be thought of as equivalent sources which are displaced from the boundary of the scatterer. Actually any discrete set of solutions to Maxwell's equations may be used as basis functions, the characteristic requirements being that: (1) the fields of each solution are known analytically in all regions of interest, and (2) there are no singularities on the boundary. A matrix equation is then solved to match the boundary conditions at a discrete set of points on the boundary, yielding the coefficients for the basis function solutions. In comparison, the basis functions used in the method-of-moments technique are current elements whose fields must be obtained numerically, and which (usually) exist on the boundary and therefore have singularities on the boundary.