Patent ID: 6405143
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for determining a potential using a computer having a user-input device, a processing device, and a user-output device comprising the steps of:receiving data representing positions and charge-like measures for each of a plurality of source particles and target particles; assigning said source particles and said target particles into at least one cluster of source particles and at least one cluster of target particles; selecting a collection point for each of said clusters; performing an exponential expansion operation on each of said particles to determine an inverse distance between each of said collection points and said positions of particles within their respective cluster, said exponential expansion operation being performed over a range determined from a desired level of computational precision of said inverse distance; defining a pseudo-particle at each of said collection points based on said inverse distances and said charge-like measures, said pseudo-particle having a position at said collection point and a charge-like measure representing the collective charge-like measures of each particle associated with said collection point; and, determining a potential at a desired one of said target particles based on an operation that considers at least in part the position and the charge-like measure of at least one of said pseudo-particles.