/*
 * Project: MoleCuilder
 * Description: creates and alters molecular systems
 * Copyright (C)  2010 University of Bonn. All rights reserved.
 * Please see the LICENSE file or "Copyright notice" in builder.cpp for details.
 */

/**
 * \file tesselation.dox
 *
 * Created on: Oct 28, 2011
 *    Author: heber
 */

/** \page tesselation Tesselation
 *
 * Tesselation is a first step towards recognizing molecular surfaces.
 *
 * Within the code it is used for calculating correlation functions with regard
 * to such a surface.
 *
 * \section tesselation-procedure
 *
 * In the tesselation all atoms act as possible hindrance to a rolling sphere
 * that moves in from infinity. whenever it rests uniquely on three distinct
 * points (atoms) a triangle is created. The algorithm continues by flipping the
 * sphere over one of the triangle's edges to eventually obtain a closed,
 * tesselated surface of the molecule.
 *
 * \note This mesh is different to the usual sense of a molecular surface as
 * atoms are directly located on it. Normally, one considers a so-called
 * Van-der-Waals sphere around the atoms and tesselates over these. However,
 * the mesh can easily be modified and even expanded to match the other
 * (although the code for that is not yet fully implemented).
 *
 * \section tesselation-extension
 *
 * The main problem for extending the mesh to match with the normal sense is
 * that triangles may suddenly intersect others when we have the case of a non-
 * convex mesh (which is rather the normal case). And this has to be
 * specifically treated. Also, it is not sure whether the procedure of
 * expanding our current surface is optimal and one should not start on a
 * different set of nodes created from virtual points resting on the
 * van-der-Waals spheres.
 *
 * \date 2011-10-31
 *
 */