| Abstract: | An “apparatus” operator approach is presented for the extension of the density functional theory of Hohenberg, Kohn, and Mermin. Using the Mermin entropy principle, a one-to-one correspondence is established between the density matrix for the system and the electron charge density for a finite-temperature system in the presence of an apparatus. In the zero-temperature limit in the absence of an apparatus, the Hohenberg–Kohn theory is recovered. The central aspect of this new density functional theory is that the principle of maximum entropy is applied to the system plus its surroundings under the additional constraint that the electron charge density is given. The system is treated as a subsystem of a composite system and is not necessarily in the equilibrium state as in the Mermin theory. As an example, it is shown how, in principle, excited states are encompassed by the theory. |
