A novel definition method of optical asphericity

In view of the fact that methods for calculating asphericity of optical aspheric surface are nonuniform, a novel definition method named least maximal error method is proposed on the basis of an analysis of the common calculating methods. It fully unifies the asphericity calculation for conicoid and high-order aspheric surface. It finds the best-fitting spherical surface, notes the maximum deviation between aspheric surface and the best-fitting spherical surface minimum, and this maximum deviation is defined as the maximal asphericity of aspheric surface. The theory of the definition method and some calculation examples are put forward. The method is suitable for computer programming and its result is accurate.