Abstract
Summary This paper is concerned with the general restrictions placed on the spatial distribution of electrons by the antisymmetry principle and the specification of spin degeneracy. The total wave function depends on the spatial and spin coordinates of the electrons but, if the quantum-mechanical Hamiltonian is independent of spin, it is only necessary to consider the variation of the wave function in a subspace involving the position coordinates only. The restrictions on this position wave function implied by the condition of antisymmetry and spin degeneracy of the complete wave function are obtained. This analysis involves no approximations. Finally, the theory is used to discuss the description of spatial correlation given by the single-determinant molecular orbital approximate wave function and the way in which this is modified if the interelectronic repulsion is taken into account in a more refined manner.
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