A Network-Oriented Approach to the Teaching of Electromagnetics

In this paper, electromagnetic theory is presented by expanding upon ideas that electrical engineering students already possess. The equivalent network concept, well known for lumped circuits (ordinary differential equations), is generalized to electromagnetic fields in free space (partial differential equations). The network, rigorously equivalent to Maxwell's equations, is suitable for all problems in free space. One illustrative antenna problem is presented and its relevance to lumped network calculations is also shown.