Comments on the locality in density-functional theory
- Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology and Goeteborg University, SE-412 96 Goeteborg (Sweden)
The 'locality hypothesis' in density-functional theory (DFT), implying that the functional derivative is equivalent to a multiplicative local function, forms the basis of models of Kohn-Sham type. This has been generally accepted by the community since the advent of the model, and has later been formally proved for a large class of functionals. The hypothesis has recently been questioned by Nesbet [Phys. Rev. A 58, R12 (1998) and Phys. Rev. A 65, 010502 (2001)], who claims that it fails for the kinetic-energy functional for a system with more than two noninteracting electrons with a nondegenerate ground state. This conclusion has been questioned by Gal [Phys. Rev. A 62, 044501 (2000)] and by Holas and March [Phys. Rev. A 64, 016501 (2001)]. We claim that the arguments of Nesbet are incorrect, since the orbital functional used for the kinetic energy is not a unique functional of the total density in the domain of unnormalized orbitals. We have demonstrated that with a proper definition of the kinetic energy, which is a unique density functional also in the unnormalized region, the derivative can be represented by a single local multiplicative function for all v-representable densities. Therefore, we consider the controversy connected with the issue raised by Nesbet as resolved. We believe that the proof of the differentiability given here can be extended to larger groups of DFT functionals, and works along these lines are in progress.
- OSTI ID:
- 20636439
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. A, Vol. 67, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.67.056501; (c) 2003 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1050-2947
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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