| Abstract: | We examine a variety of methods for obtaining the stable geometry of molecules and the transition states of simple systems and summarize some of our findings. We find the most efficient methods for optimizing structure to be those based on calculated gradients and estimated second derivative (Hessian) matrices, the later obtained either from the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS ) quasi-Newton update method or from approximations to the coupled perturbed Hartree–Fock method. For uncovering transition states we find particularly useful a variety of the augmented Hessian theory used to uncover regions of the potential energy hypersurface with one and only one negative eigenvalue of the Hessian matrix characterizing the catchment region of the transition state. Once this region is found we minimize the norm of the gradient vector to catch the nearest extreme point of the surface. Examples of these procedures are given. |
