ISO/TR 14999-1:2005给出了光学波前干涉测量和光学元件表面形状的术语、定义和基本物理和技术关系。 它解释了为什么由于要测量的波前的波动性质，干涉仪的一些构造和使用原理很重要。 由于除了非常延伸的平面波之外，所有波前在传播时都会改变其形状，ISO/TR 14999-1:2005还包括一些有关波传播的基本信息。 在实践中，可以使用各种配置进行干涉测量；ISO/TR 14999-1:2005概述了双光束干涉的基本配置。 利用复振幅的概念和两个基本方程建立了光波的数学公式- 建立光束干涉来解释从测量的强度分布（无论是在时间上还是在空间上）导出相位信息的原理。 随机误差和系统误差都可能影响干涉测量的结果，因此ISO/TR 14999-1:2005中描述了需要明确区分的误差类型。

ISO/TR 14999-1:2005 gives terms, definitions and fundamental physical and technical relationships for interferometric measurements of optical wavefronts and surface form of optical elements. It explains, why some principles of the construction and use of interferometers are important due to the wave nature of the wavefronts to be measured. Since all wavefronts with the exception of very extended plane waves do alter their shape when propagating, ISO/TR 14999-1:2005 also includes some basic information about wave propagation. In practice, interferometric measurements can be done and are done by use of various configurations; ISO/TR 14999-1:2005 outlines the basic configurations for two-beam interference. The mathematical formulation of optical waves by the concept of the complex amplitude as well as the basic equations of two-beam interference are established to explain the principles of deriving the phase information out of the measured intensity distribution, either in time or in space. Both random and systematic errors may affect the results of interferometric measurements and error types to be clearly differentiated are therefore described in ISO/TR 14999-1:2005.