ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, cilt.445, sa.2, ss.526-536, 1995 (SCI-Expanded)
An improved method for the modeling of light curves of spotted stars is presented. This method still operates by trial and error but assumes numerous spots, unlike the other classical light-curve solutions of one-spot or standard two-spot models. The symmetry implied by the solar analogy, which describes the distribution of spots, helps reduce the number of free parameters. Automatic iterations converge to a unique solution of spot parameters (temperature, sizes, and locations) to produce theoretical light curves fitting the five-color photometry (UBVRI) of HD 12545. The spot temperature is treated as a free parameter simultaneously with the sizes and locations, unlike other models which usually predict it from V-I or V-R color curves prior to the trials. The spots are found to be 1280 K cooler than the T-eff = 4820 K of this cool giant and to cover similar to 27% of the total surface at +/- 18 degrees away from the equator.