Abstract: | The local energy equation derived by Dawson and March (1984) following the study of Cohen and Frishberg (1976) involves the low-order density matrices. Using this equation, a formally exact route is laid down by means of which the exchange-correlation potential of density functional theory can be derived in terms of the third- and lower-order density matrices. An integral equation for an approximate exchange potential is obtained, which may be solved iteratively within the Slater-Kohn-Sham scheme. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |