"Version: 20240801"--Title page verso.Includes bibliographical references.1. Introduction -- 2. Classical nature of light -- 2.1. Electromagnetic waves -- 2.2. Polarization -- 2.3. Preparatory experimental explorations -- 2.4. C1 : Investigating polarization of light through Jones calculus -- 2.5. C2 : Fourier analysis and peanut plots -- 2.6. C3 : Interference and erasure of which-way informat…