Variational theory multi-electron atoms

Many-body calculations which go beyond the Hartree-Fock model can be performed in two ways, i.e. using either a variational or a perturbational procedure. There are a number of variational methods which account for correlation effects superposition-of-configurations (or configuration interaction (Cl)), random phase approximation with exchange, method of incomplete separation of variables, multi-configuration Hartree-Fock (MCHF) approach, etc. However, to date only Cl and MCHF methods and some simple versions of perturbation theory are practically exploited for theoretical studies of many-electron atoms and ions. 

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