EDUCATION Revista Mexicana de F´ısica E 64 (2018) 26–38 JANUARY–JUNE 2018 The retarded potential of a non-homogeneous wave equation: introductory analysis through the Green functions A. Tellez-Qui´ nones˜ a;¤, J.C. Valdiviezo-Navarroa, A. Salazar-Garibaya, and A.A. Lopez-Caloca´ b aCONACYT-Centro de Investigacion´ en Geograf´ıa y Geomatica,´ Ing. J.L. Tamayo, A.C. (Unidad Merida),´ Carretera Sierra Papacal-Chuburna Puerto Km 5, Sierra Papacal-Yucatan,´ 97302, Mexico.´ bCentro de Investigacion´ en Geograf´ıa y Geomatica,´ Ing. J.L. Tamayo, A.C., Contoy 137-Lomas de Padierna, Tlalpan-Ciudad de Mexico,´ 14240, Mexico.´ e-mail:
[email protected] Received 17 August 2017; accepted 11 September 2017 The retarded potential, a solution of the non-homogeneous wave equation, is a subject of particular interest in many physics and engineering applications. Examples of such applications may be the problem of solving the wave equation involved in the emission and reception of a signal in a synthetic aperture radar (SAR), scattering and backscattering, and general electrodynamics for media free of magnetic charges. However, the construction of this potential solution is based on the theory of distributions, a topic that requires special care and time to be understood with mathematical rigor. Thus, the goal of this study is to provide an introductory analysis, with a medium level of formalism, on the construction of this potential solution and the handling of Green functions represented by sequences of well-behaved approximating functions. Keywords: Mathematical methods in physics; mathematics; diffraction theory; backscattering; radar. PACS: 01.30.Rr; 02.30.Em; 41.20.Jb 1.