Minimum number of components required for the structural design of a multicomponent two-conjugate lens system

A semi-analytical approach to check and eliminate unwanted redundancy in the number of components in multicomponent optical systems is presented. This analysis is particularly useful in the first phase of structural design for conceptualizing a multicomponent lens system that must meet the required paraxial specifications for object and pupil imagery. The method is applicable to both “ab initio” and “surrogate” design.