Essentials and merits of the method of analytical regularization in computational optics and photonics

Although still underestimated in computational optics and photonics, the conversion of electromagnetic field problems to the Fredholm second kind integral equations (IEs), also called analytical regularization, and finally Fredholm second-kind infinite-matrix equations has many remarkable merits. We discuss them at the background of specific features of material properties of metals and dielectrics in the optical range.