The effects of several perturbations are investigated. They are: modification of the shape of a pole, error excitation, displacement, and rotation of a pole. The effects are described in terms of changes of multipole coefficients. General relationships between some of these coefficients are described, and formulae are derived that allow their calculation for a model 2N-pole magnet. Numerical values of these coefficients are given for a quadrupole, sextupole, and octupole. © 1969.