A new Monte Carlo method for phase determination

An extended version of the multi-solution method has been devised by introducing a Monte Carlo technique. This Monte Carlo direct method differs from the ordinary multi-solution procedure in two respects: (1) The starting set usually consists of as many as 10-50 phases; (2) Tentative phase values assigned to the members of the starting set are derived from successively generated random numbers. The application of the new method to several unknown structures has shown that it can be used as an effective means of phase determination.