Dioptric Power in an Off‐Axis Meridian

There is much confusion about whether or not dioptric power exists in an off‐axis meridian of a spherocylindrical lens. One source of this confusion is an overly simplified definition of dioptric power. This paper proposes the conditions that a good definition of dioptric power should meet. Under these conditions, dioptric power does exist in an off‐axis meridian. However, that dioptric power has two components–a curvature component and a torsional component. A second source of confusion has been the neglect of the torsional component.