A system and method are provided for designing RF pulses for multi-channel
and/or multi-dimensional spatially-selective applications using a linear
approximation. Embodiments of the system and method may use a generalized
linear-class large tip angle approximation to design RF pulses for
multi-channel and parallel transmission. Further, some of these
approximations allow for the design of arbitrarily large flip angles,
irregularly-shaped flip angle profiles, or arbitrary initial
magnetization values. Embodiments of the system and method may also
provide for the design of k-space trajectories which aid in maintaining
assumptions of the various linear class approximations.