This book provides an introduction to many-body methods for applications in quantum chemistry.
These methods originating in field-theory offer an alternative to conventional
quantum-chemical approaches to the treatment of the many-electron problem in molecules.
Starting with a general introduction to the atomic and molecular many-electron problem the
book then develops a stringent formalism of field-theoretical many-body theory culminating in
the diagrammatic perturbation expansions of many-body Green's functions or propagators in terms
of Feynman diagrams. It also introduces and analyzes practical computational methods such as
the field-tested algebraic-diagrammatic construction (ADC) schemes. The ADC concept can also be
established via a wave-function based procedure referred to as intermediate state
representation (ISR) which bridges the gap between propagator and wave-function formulations.
Based on the current rapid increase in computer power and the development of efficient
computational methods quantum chemistry has emerged as a potent theoretical tool for treating
ever-larger molecules and problems of chemical and physical interest. Offering an introduction
to many-body methods this book appeals to advanced students interested in an alternative
approach to the many-electron problem in molecules and is suitable for any courses dealing
with computational methods in quantum chemistry.
