GRAVITATIONAL LENSING AND THE GEOMETRY OF THE UNIVERSE

New and improved data on the gravitational lens systems discovered so far are compared with the theoretical predictions of Gott, Park, and Lee (1989, GPL). Systems lensed by a single galaxy, compatible with assumptions of GPL, support flat or near-flat geometry for the universe. But the statistical uncertainty is too large to draw any definite conclusion. We need more lens systems. Also, the probability of multiple image lensing and mean separation of the images averaged over the source distribution are calculated for various cosmological models. Multiple-image lens systems and radio ring systems are compared with the predictions. Although the data reject exotic cosmological models, it cannot discriminate among conventional Friedmann models yet.