Light shaping for illumination

The ever-increasing use of LED as a solid-state light source in general and specialized lighting has pushed the field of optics further for illumination towards sophistication and high precision. In this paper, we provide an overview of this domain, starting with a formulation of the underlying, fundamental mathematical problem, which in itself is not easily and directly solvable. We then describe various algorithms that have been developed as approximations for specialized cases, providing references to the relevant publications. Finally, two examples show the new possibilities in light shaping that have been made possible through the use of nonimaging freeform optics.