Abstract: | Geometry optimization directly in Cartesian coordinates using the EF and GDIIS algorithms with standard Hessian updating techniques is compared and contrasted with optimization in internal coordinates utilizing the well known Z-matrix formalism. Results on a test set of 20 molecules show that, with an appropriate initial Hessian, optimization in Cartesians is just as efficient as optimization in internals, thus rendering it unnecessary to construct a Z-matrix in situations where Cartesians are readily available, for example from structural databases or graphical model builders. |