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In a free-space line-of-sight (LOS) communication system, the signal propagates directly from the transmitter to the receiver without encountering any obstacles (scatterers). Electromagnetic waves propagate in the form of spherical waves with a functional dependence of e^j(&omega;^t-k₀R)/R, where R is the distance between the transmitter and receiver, <math>\omega = 2\pi f</math>, f is the signal frequency, <math>k_0 = \frac{\omega}{c} = \frac{2\pi}{\lambda}</math>, c is the speed of light, and &lambda;₀ is the free-space wavelength at the operational frequency. By the time the signal arrives at the location of the receiver, it undergoes two changes. It is attenuated and its power drops by a factor of 1/R², and additionally, it experiences a phase shift of <math>\frac{2\pi R}{\lambda_0}</math>, which is equivalent to a time delay of R/c. The signal attenuation from the transmitter to the receiver is usually quantified by '''Path Loss''' defined as the ratio of the received signal power (P_R) to the transmitted signal power (P_T). Assuming isotropic transmitting and receiving radiators (<i>i.e.</i> radiating uniformly in all directions), the Path Loss in a free-space line-of-sight communication system is given by Friis’ formula: