Continuum theory light scattering

A continuum theory implicitly assumes a model for the absorption by and scatter from a particle of infinitesimal size. This model is only a reasonable approximation for samples in which the fraction of light absorbed by an individual particle is a very small fraction of the light incident upon it. The advantage of this model is that it is simple, though the mathematics that describe it are not. The discontinuum method we will describe uses mathematics no more complex than the continuum theories. However, the description of the sample is more complex. This is both the power and limitation of the discontinuum theories they can describe more complex situations, but doing so requires a more detailed description. 

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