original_query: What is the Mie solution to Maxwell's equations?
query: What is the Mie solution to Maxwell's equations?
answer: The Mie solution, also known as the Lorenz-Mie solution or Lorenz-Mie-Debye solution, describes the scattering of an electromagnetic plane wave by a homogeneous sphere.  It's expressed as an infinite series of spherical multipole partial waves and is named after Gustav Mie.  The term is also used for similar solutions involving stratified spheres, infinite cylinders, or other geometries where radial and angular dependence can be separated.