Correlation consistent configuration interaction

E. A. Carter, W. A. Goddard, J. Chem. Phys. 88, 3132 (1988). Correlation-Consistent Configuration Interaction Accurate Bond Dissociation Energies from Simple Wave Functions. 

Carter EA, Goddard WA (1988) Correlation-consistent configuration-interaction - accurate bond-dissociation energies from simple wave-functions. J Chem Phys 88(5) 3132-3140... 

The ab initio HF treatment with correlation of large molecules is by no means a simple problem. On the other hand, without taking into account correlation effects only the ground state properties of a molecule in its equilibrium geometry can be calculated in a more or less reliable way. Further the standard method for the treatment of correlation, the configuration interaction (Cl) method, cannot be used well even for medium size systems, because it is not size consistent. Therefore, one has to apply either some form of many body perturbation theory (MBPT) or the coupled cluster (CC) approach, both in a certain approximation (both methods are size consistent). 

MRCI (multireference configuration interaction) a correlated ah initio method multiconfigurational self-consistent field (MCSCF) a correlated ah initio method... 

A disadvantage of all these limited Cl variants is that they are not size-consistent.The Quadratic Configuration Interaction (QCI) method was developed to correct this deficiency. The QCISD method adds terms to CISD to restore size consistency. QCISD also accounts for some correlation effects to infinite order. QCISD(T) adds triple substitutions to QCISD, providing even greater accuracy. Similarly, QCISD(TQ) adds both triples and quadruples from the full Cl expansion to QCISD. 

If we except the Density Functional Theory and Coupled Clusters treatments (see, for example, reference [1] and references therein), the Configuration Interaction (Cl) and the Many-Body-Perturbation-Theory (MBPT) [2] approaches are the most widely-used methods to deal with the correlation problem in computational chemistry. The MBPT approach based on an HF-SCF (Hartree-Fock Self-Consistent Field) single reference taking RHF (Restricted Hartree-Fock) [3] or UHF (Unrestricted Hartree-Fock ) orbitals [4-6] has been particularly developed, at various order of perturbation n, leading to the widespread MPw or UMPw treatments when a Moller-Plesset (MP) partition of the electronic Hamiltonian is considered [7]. The implementation of such methods in various codes and the large distribution of some of them as black boxes make the MPn theories a common way for the non-specialist to tentatively include, with more or less relevancy, correlation effects in the calculations. 

The electron correlation problem remains a central research area for quantum chemists, as its solution would provide the exact energies for arbitrary systems. Today there exist many procedures for calculating the electron correlation energy (/), none of which, unfortunately, is both robust and computationally inexpensive. Configuration interaction (Cl) methods provide a conceptually simple route to correlation energies and a full Cl calculation will provide exact energies but only at prohibitive computational cost as it scales factorially with the number of basis functions, N. Truncated Cl methods such as CISD (A cost) are more computationally feasible but can still only be used for small systems and are neither size consistent nor size extensive. Coupled cluster... 

Figure 1. The shape of the potential curve for nitrogen in a correlation-consistent polarized double-zeta basis set is presented for the variational 2-RDM method as well as (a) single-reference coupled cluster, (b) multireference second-order perturbation theory (MRPT) and single-double configuration interaction (MRCl), and full configuration interaction (FCl) wavefunction methods. The symbol 2-RDM indicates that the potential curve was shifted by the difference between the 2-RDM and CCSD(T) energies at equilibrium.

Another class of methods uses more than one Slater determinant as the reference wave function. The methods used to describe electron correlation within these calculations are similar in some ways to the methods listed above. These methods include multiconfigurational self-consistent field (MCSCF), multireference single and double configuration interaction (MRDCI), and /V-clcctron valence state perturbation theory (NEVPT) methods.5... 

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