Density Functional Theory (DFT) is a computational quantum mechanical modeling method used to investigate the electronic structure of many-body systems, particularly atoms, molecules, and solids. The core idea of DFT is that the properties of a system can be determined by its electron density rather than its wave function. This allows for significant simplifications in calculations, as the electron density is a function of three spatial variables, while a wave function depends on the number of electrons and can be much more complex.
DFT employs functionals, which are mathematical entities that map functions to real numbers, to express the energy of a system in terms of its electron density. The total energy can be expressed as:
Here, is the kinetic energy functional, is the classical electrostatic interaction energy, and represents the exchange-correlation energy, capturing all quantum mechanical interactions. DFT's ability to provide accurate predictions for the properties of materials while being computationally efficient makes it a vital tool in fields such as chemistry, physics, and materials science.
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