Convex curve has at least four vertices, points that are local minima or local maxima of curvature. A curve "C" is convex if and only if there are no three different points in "C" such that the tangents in these points are parallel. Proof: ⇒ If there are three parallel tangents, then one of them, say "L", must be between the other two. This means that "C" lies on both sides of "L", so it cannot be convex. ⇐ If "C" is not convex, then by definition there is point "p" on "C" such that the tangent line at "p" (call it
Compound refractive lens the order of meters, by using many lenses in series. To minimize the absorption the lens must be made from a material such as aluminium, beryllium, or lithium. CRLs were first demonstrated in the mid-1990s by a group of scientists at the ESRF. They drilled holes in an aluminium block, and achieved focusing in two dimensions. For X-rays a concave lens focuses the X-rays because the index of refraction is slightly below unity. In a CRL of this type the walls between the cylindrical holes act as concave lenses for X-rays traveling perpendicular to the axis of the drilled cylinders.