Resolving conundrums in lasing without inversion via exact solutions to simple models

Aspects of lasing without inversion (LWI) have been the subject of spirited debate. Analytical solutions are here presented which provide a useful tool for resolving many of the conundrums and also provide new insights into the physics of the problem. The presentation is written for the student with some background in laser physics but not LWI. Some of the material is therefore in the nature of a review.