Generalized-molecular-orbital theory: Simple multiconfiguration self-consistent-field method

Even after completing a multiconfiguration self-consistent-field (MCSCF ) calculation, one must often include additional configuration interaction (CI ) to obtain quantitative or semiquantitative results. There is some question of whether the prior MCSCF calculation is worthwhile, if additional CI is needed later. We have developed a new MCSCF computational method, which, because of our assumptions about the nature of the configurations, yields one Fock-like operator for all the “filled” orbitals (high occupation numbers) and a second Fock-like operator for all the “virtual” orbitals (low occupation numbers). Since there are only two matrices to build, our method is considerably faster than other MCSCF approaches. Because of these similarities to standard molecular-orbital (MO ) calculations, we have termed our approach generalized-molecular-orbital (GMO ) theory. However, the “virtual” orbitals, unlike those of standard MO theory, are optimized to correlate the “filled” ones and can he used in a subsequent CI calculation. Results are presented for the correlation energy of H₂O, the spectroscopic constants of N₂, the singlet–triplet energy separations in CH₂, and the nature of the chromium–chromium quadruple bond. Although these results are at a very low level of CI , the GMO approach appears to correct for the gross deficiencies of the single-determinant SCF procedure.