Some remarks on computer-aided design of optical lens systems

Computer-aided design of optical lens systems implies the solution of an optimization problem of large dimension. To apply a local algorithm, we want to know a starting point within a small neighborhood of the desired system. For a given task, the designer is not able to define a suitable starting point. In this paper, we describe a global optimization algorithm which uses the principles of biological evolution with the aim of locating an adequate starting point for a local correction routine.This work was supported by the Department of Mathematics, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, GDR, in cooperation with the research center of VEB Kombinat Carl Zeiss, Jena, GDR. The authors are indebted to Dr. L. C. W. Dixon for discussions of the topic.