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The Einstein angular radius is the angular form of the Einstein radius: $R_E=D_l{\theta }_E$ in the lens plane. Its displayed value applies to a point-mass gravitational lens with the angular diameter distances defined above. It depends on source distance as well as lens mass and position. At fixed distances, multiplying $M$ by four doubles ${\theta }_E$.

At exact alignment, the vector thin gravitational lens equation is $0=(1-{\theta }_E^2/r^2)\mathbf{\theta }$. For a nonzero image direction it requires $r={\theta }_E$ and leaves the direction unrestricted: all azimuths form an Einstein ring. The signed equation's roots $\theta =\pm {\theta }_E$ are only a diameter cut through that circle. A source of finite angular size makes an annulus or arcs with finite received light; the infinite point-source lensing magnification at alignment is an idealization. An Einstein ring expresses rotational symmetry and source alignment, not a circular arrangement of emitting stars.

A critical curve is a locus in the image plane where the Jacobian matrix of the thin gravitational lens equation becomes singular. Its formal point-source lensing magnification diverges, while finite source size regularizes the measured flux. Its mapped locus in the source plane is a gravitational-lensing caustic.

Image parity in gravitational lensing is the sign of the determinant of the source-from-image Jacobian matrix $A=\partial \mathbf{\beta }/\partial \mathbf{\theta }$. A positive sign preserves the local handedness of a small source pattern; a negative sign reverses it. Negative signed lensing magnification therefore means a reflected orientation, not negative received light. This is a two-dimensional property: the derivative of a signed radial equation alone does not determine it.

For a point-mass gravitational lens, differentiate $\mathbf{\beta }=(1-{\theta }_E^2/r^2)\mathbf{\theta }$, where $r=|\mathbf{\theta }|$. The radial and tangential eigenvalues of $A$ areConsequently the outer member of the two images of a point-mass lens has positive image parity in gravitational lensing; the inner member has negative image parity in gravitational lensing. At $r={\theta }_E$ the tangential eigenvalue vanishes: this is the tangential critical curve of an axisymmetric lens, and its gravitational-lensing caustic is the aligned source point. The signed lensing magnification is $\mu =1/\det A$, but measured total light uses $|{\mu }_{+}|+|{\mu }_{-}|$.