Efficiency of different heuristic approaches to calculation of electromagnetic diffraction by polyhedrons and other scatterers

Different heuristic approaches, such as physical optics method, method of equivalent edge currents, and newly developed modified method of equivalent edge currents are exemplified in a problem of electromagnetic diffraction by a plane angular sector. Comparing with rigorous results has shown that for the problem of electromagnetic diffraction by polyhedrons physical optics method can lead to serious mistakes, method of equivalent edge currents gives a qualitatively correct solution and modified solution by equivalent edge currents method is the most close to a rigorous one. Results of this work can be extended to many scientific and engineering applications in various fields of physics and technology.