🚀 go-pugleaf

 Sounds like a variant of distance geometry to me.  The classic
 reference is:
 
 Blumenthal, Theory and Applications of Distance Geometry,  Chelsea
 Publishing Company, Bronx, NY 1953 reprinted 1979.  Out of print now.
 
 A more recent reference is "Distance Geometry and Molecular
 Conformation" by G.M. Crippen and T.F. Havel, Research Studies Press
 Ltd., Taunton, Somerset, England.  1988.  ISBN 0-86380-073-4.  Printed
 in the US by Wiley, Inc. ISBN 0-471-92061-4.  US$142.00
 
 I can supply a lot of journal article references (for instance, see
 Bull. Math. Biol. 46(4): 1984 for an article by Havel and Wurthrich)
 so contact me if more is needed.
 
 dan
 
 
 -- 
 dr. dan davison/dept. of biochemical and biophysical sciences/univ. of
 Houston/4800 Calhoun/Houston,TX 77054-5500/davison@uh.edu/DAVISON@UHOU
 
 "Mars is essentially in the same orbit...somewhat the same distance
 from the sun, which is very important.  We have seen pictures where
 there are canals, we believe, and water.  If there is water, that
 means there is oxygen.  If oxygen, that means we can breathe" -- Vice
 President Dan Quayle, Head of the National Space Council, when
 questioned on CNN about why America should send a mission to Mars.
 [Houston Post, Sun. Nov. 19, pg. C-1].
 
 Disclaimer: As always, I speak only for myself, and, usually, only to
 myself.