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44Jon t1_j6t2xma wrote

If QED says light travels in the path that minimizes the time of travel, shouldn't all the light from an object become part of the mirage image in situations involving mirages?

(I.e., why would there be a "real" image as well since that light takes longer to arrive at the observer.)

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mfb- t1_j6vn0yj wrote

> If QED says light travels in the path that minimizes the time of travel

It doesn't say that. Classical optics says that if diffraction is negligible.

> shouldn't all the light from an object become part of the mirage image in situations involving mirages?

No. Why would it?

> (I.e., why would there be a "real" image as well since that light takes longer to arrive at the observer.)

The direct image will take less time, but it's on a completely different path so that comparison doesn't matter. The shortest path statement only applies to adjacent paths.

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