Configuration interaction matrix elements for atoms using permutation group algebra

A procedure is described for the efficient evaluation of the energy matrix elements necessary for atomic configuration-interaction calculations. With the orbital configurations of an N electron system in spin state S written as the irreducible representations 2^1/2N?S, 1^2S] of the permutation group S( N ), it is possible to evaluate readily the energy matrix elements of a spin-free Hamiltonian expressed in terms of the generators of the unitary group. We show how the use of angular momentum ladder operators permits the effective generation of a basis of eigenstates of ??², ??_z as well as ??² and ??_z, for which the energy matrix elements may be evaluated with ease.