Art wrote:
"The Gauss system, which does not use parasitics and therefore pursues
the independent control AND PHASE AND AMPLITUDE."

Parasitic arrays can also use independent control of phase and
amplitude, I worked with curtain antenna arrays in the 1950`s used for
shortwave broadcasting.

The array consisted of (4) 1/2-wave dipoles, 2 over 2 all in the same
plane, separated vertically by a 1/2 wavelength and suspended over the
earth by a gap of 1/2-wavelength. An identical dipole array was
suspended immediately behind the driven dipoles. It served as a
parasitic reflector.

The harness connected to the parasitic array was identical to that
connected to the driven elements except that instead of being connected
to the transmitter, it was connected to tuning stubs. We used an RCA WM
30A broadcast phase monitor with sampling loops suspended on driven and
parasitic elements to adjust phasing of the reflector.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI