Recent Progress In Orbital Free Density Functional Theory

This is a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art computational methods based on orbital-free formulation of density functional theory completed by the most recent developments concerning the exact properties, approximations, and interpretations of the relevant quantities in density functional theory.The book is a compilation of contributions stemming from a series of workshops which had been taking place since 2002. It not only chronicles many of the latest developments but also summarises some of the more significant ones. The chapters are mainly reviews of sub-domains but also include original research.

This book is an outcome of the International Workshop on Electronic Density Functional Theory, held at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, in July 1996. Density functional theory, standing as it does at the boundary between the disciplines of physics, chemistry, and materials science, is a great mixer. Invited experts from North America, Europe, and Australia mingled with students from several disciplines, rapidly taking up the informal style for which Australia is famous. A list of participants is given at the end of the book. Density functional theory (DFT) is a subtle approach to the very difficult problem of predicting the behavior of many interacting particles. A major application is the study of many-electron systems. This was the workshop theme, embracing inter alia computational chemistry and condensed matter physics. DFT circumvents the more conceptually straightforward (but more computationally intensive) approach in which one solves the many-body Schrodinger equation. It relies instead on rather delicate considerations involving the electron number density. For many years the pioneering work of Kohn and Sham (the Local Density Ap proximation of 1965 and immediate extensions) represented the state of the art in DFT. This approach was widely used for its appealing simplicity and computability, but gave rather modest accuracy. In the last few years there has been a renaissance of interest, quite largely due to the remarkable success of the new generation of gradient functionals whose initiators include invitees to the workshop (Perdew, Parr, Yang).

The first reference of its kind in the rapidly emerging field of computational approachs to materials research, this is a compendium of perspective-providing and topical articles written to inform students and non-specialists of the current status and capabilities of modelling and simulation. From the standpoint of methodology, the development follows a multiscale approach with emphasis on electronic-structure, atomistic, and mesoscale methods, as well as mathematical analysis and rate processes. Basic models are treated across traditional disciplines, not only in the discussion of methods but also in chapters on crystal defects, microstructure, fluids, polymers and soft matter. Written by authors who are actively participating in the current development, this collection of 150 articles has the breadth and depth to be a major contributor toward defining the field of computational materials. In addition, there are 40 commentaries by highly respected researchers, presenting various views that should interest the future generations of the community. Subject Editors: Martin Bazant, MIT; Bruce Boghosian, Tufts University; Richard Catlow, Royal Institution; Long-Qing Chen, Pennsylvania State University; William Curtin, Brown University; Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Nicolas Hadjiconstantinou, MIT; Mark F. Horstemeyer, Mississippi State University; Efthimios Kaxiras, Harvard University; L. Mahadevan, Harvard University; Dimitrios Maroudas, University of Massachusetts; Nicola Marzari, MIT; Horia Metiu, University of California Santa Barbara; Gregory C. Rutledge, MIT; David J. Srolovitz, Princeton University; Bernhardt L. Trout, MIT; Dieter Wolf, Argonne National Laboratory.

Of all the different areas in computational chemistry, density functional theory (DFT) enjoys the most rapid development. Even at the level of the local density approximation (LDA), which is computationally less demanding, DFT can usually provide better answers than Hartree-Fock formalism for large systems such as clusters and solids. For atoms and molecules, the results from DFT often rival those obtained by ab initio quantum chemistry, partly because larger basis sets can be used. Such encouraging results have in turn stimulated workers to further investigate the formal theory as well as the computational methodology of DFT. This Part II expands on the methodology and applications of DFT. Some of the chapters report on the latest developments (since the publication of Part I in 1995), while others extend the applications to wider range of molecules and their environments. Together, this and other recent review volumes on DFT show that DFT provides an efficient and accurate alternative to traditional quantum chemical methods. Such demonstration should hopefully stimulate frutiful developments in formal theory, better exchange-correlation functionals, and linear scaling methodology. Contents:On the Calculation of Energies and Optimised Geometries from Exchange-Correlation Potentials (D J Tozer & N C Handy)A Grid-Free Implementation of Density Functional Theory (J E Almlöf & Y C Zheng)Continuum Dielectric Models for the Solvent and Density Functional Theory: The State-of-the-Art (G D Luca et al.)On the Calculation of Multiplets (C A Daul et al.)Structural and Dynamical Features of Hydrogen Bonds from Conventional and Hybrid Density Functional Methods (C Adamo & V Barone)Chemistry by Density Functional Theory (C W Bauschlicher, Jr. et al.)The Self-Interaction Corrected Local Density Approximation Method (M A Whitehead)Index Readership: Researchers and graduate students in computational chemistry and computational physics. keywords:

The present status of Density Functional Theory (DFT), which has evolved as the main technique for the study of matter at the atomistic level, is described in this volume. Knowing the behavior of atoms and molecules provides a sure avenue for the design of new materials with specific features and properties in many areas of science and technology. A technique based on purely first principles allowing large savings in time and money greatly benefits the specialist or designer of new materials. The range of areas where DFT is applied has expanded and continues to do so. Any area where a molecular system is the center of attention can be studied using DFT.The scope of the 22 chapters in this book amply testifies to this.

Density Functional Theory (DFT) is a powerful technique for calculating and comprehending the molecular and electrical structure of atoms, molecules, clusters, and solids. Its use is based not only on the capacity to calculate the molecular characteristics of the species of interest but also on the provision of interesting concepts that aid in a better understanding of the chemical reactivity of the systems under study. This book presents examples of recent advances, new perspectives, and applications of DFT for the understanding of chemical reactivity through descriptors forming the basis of Conceptual DFT as well as the application of the theory and its related computational procedures in the determination of the molecular properties of different systems of academic, social, and industrial interest.

Density functional methods form the basis of a diversified and very active area of present days computational atomic, molecular, solid state and even nuclear physics. A large number of computational physicists use these meth ods merely as a recipe, not reflecting too much upon their logical basis. One also observes, despite of their tremendeous success, a certain reservation in their acceptance on the part of the more theoretically oriented researchers in the above mentioned fields. On the other hand, in the seventies (Thomas Fermi theory) and in the eighties (Hohenberg-Kohn theory), density func tional concepts became subjects of mathematical physics. In 1994 a number of activities took place to celebrate the thirtieth an niversary of Hohenberg-Kohn-Sham theory. I took this an occassion to give lectures on density functional theory to senior students and postgraduates in the winter term of 1994, particularly focusing on the logical basis of the the ory. Preparing these lectures, the impression grew that, although there is a wealth of monographs and reviews in the literature devoted to density func tional theory, the focus is nearly always placed upon extending the practical applications of the theory and on the development of improved approxima tions. The logical foundadion of the theory is found somewhat scattered in the existing literature, and is not always satisfactorily presented. This situation led to the idea to prepare a printed version of the lecture notes, which resulted in the present text.

The proposed volume provides both fundamental and detailed information about the computational and computational-experimental studies which improve our knowledge of how leaving matter functions, the different properties of drugs (including the calculation and the design of new ones), and the creation of completely new ways of treating numerical diseases. Whenever it is possible, the interplay between theory and experiment is provided. The book features computational techniques such as quantum-chemical and molecular dynamic approaches and quantitative structure–activity relationships. The initial chapters describe the state-of-the art research on the computational investigations in molecular biology, molecular pharmacy, and molecular medicine performed with the use of pure quantum-chemical techniques. The central part of the book illustrates the status of computational techniques that utilize hybrid, so called QM/MM approximations as well as the results of the QSAR studies which now are the most popular in predicting drugs’ efficiency. The last chapters describe combined computational and experimental investigations.