Alternancy symmetry: A unified viewpoint

Abstract

A general formulation of the alternancy symmetry adaptation for the semiempirical Pariser–Parr–Pople (PPP) type Hamiltonians is presented at both the spin-orbital and spin-adapted many-electron levels. The derivation of the general form of the alternancy symmetry conjugation operators is based solely on the tight-binding approximation for the short range one-particle part of the Hamiltonian considered. It starts by a simple formulation of the desired invariance properties of the PPP type Hamiltonian. Using algebraic properties of the unitary group generators and of their particle number nonconserving extensions, it leads to a completely explicit and general form for the alternancy symmetry conjugation operators. In this way the prior descriptions, which become special cases of this general formulation, are interrelated and unified. The spin and quasispin character of certain components of these operators are also pointed out and explicitly derived. The spin-adapted version is based on the unitary group formulation of the valence bond-type approach. A completely general formulation is given which applies to many-electron states of an arbitrary multiplicity of neutral systems, either of the normal kind with an identical number of starred and nonstarred sites, or of the radicaloid character with different numbers of starred and nonstarred sites. An explicit form of the dependence of the relative phase factor of the alternancy symmetry conjugation operator on the total spin, total electron number and on the number of starred and nonstarred sites is also given. General rules for the construction of spin and alternancy symmetry-adapted states are illustrated on a few simple examples. Finally, a brief discussion of the implications of the alternancy symmetry is presented.