This book addresses a wide range of topics relating to the properties and behavior of condensed matter under extreme conditions such as intense magnetic and electric fields, high pressures, heat and cold, and mechanical stresses. It is divided into four sections devoted to condensed matter theory, molecular chemistry, theoretical physics, and the philosophy and history of science. The main themes include electronic correlations in material systems under extreme pressure and temperature conditions, surface physics, the transport properties of low-dimensional electronic systems, applications of the density functional theory in molecular systems, and graphene. The book is the outcome of a workshop held at the University of Catania, Italy, in honor of Professor Renato Pucci on the occasion of his 70th birthday. It includes selected invited contributions from collaborators and co-authors of Professor Pucci during his long and successful career, as well as from other distinguished guest authors.

This book presents a collection of invited research and review contributions on recent advances in (mainly) theoretical condensed matter physics, theoretical chemistry, and theoretical physics. The volume celebrates the 90th birthday of N.H. March (Emeritus Professor, Oxford University, UK), a prominent figure in all of these fields. Given the broad range of interests in the research activity of Professor March, who collaborated with a number of eminent scientists in physics and chemistry, the volume embraces quite diverse topics in physics and chemistry, at various dimensions and energy scales. One thread connecting all these topics is correlation in aggregated states of matter, ranging from nuclear physics to molecules, clusters, disordered condensed phases such as the liquid state, and solid state physics, and the various phase transitions, both structural and electronic, occurring therein. A final chapter leaps to an even larger scale of matter aggregation, namely the universe and gravitation. A further no less important common thread is methodological, with the application of theoretical physics and chemistry, particularly density functional theory and statistical field theory, to both nuclear and condensed matter.

New technologies are made possible by new materials, and until recently new materials could only be discovered experimentally. Recent advances in solving the crystal structure prediction problem means that the computational design of materials is now a reality. Computational Materials Discovery provides a comprehensive review of this field covering different computational methodologies as well as specific applications of materials design. The book starts by illustrating how and why first-principle calculations have gained importance in the process of materials discovery. The book is then split into three sections, the first exploring different approaches and ideas including crystal structure prediction from evolutionary approaches, data mining methods and applications of machine learning. Section two then looks at examples of designing specific functional materials with special technological relevance for example photovoltaic materials, superconducting materials, topological insulators and thermoelectric materials. The final section considers recent developments in creating low-dimensional materials. With contributions from pioneers and leaders in the field, this unique and timely book provides a convenient entry point for graduate students, researchers and industrial scientists on both the methodologies and applications of the computational design of materials.

Conceptual Density Functional Theory A unique resource that combines experimental and theoretical qualitative computing methods for a new foundation of chemical reactivity This two-volume reference book shows how conceptual density functional theory can reconcile empirical observations within silico calculations using density functional theory, molecular orbital theory, and valence bond theory. The ability to predict properties like electronegativity, acidity/basicity, strong covalent and weak intermolecular interactions as well as chemical reactivity makes DFT directly applicable to almost all problems in applied chemistry, from synthetic chemistry to catalyst design and materials characterization. Edited by one of the most recognized experts in the field and contributed to by a panel of international experts, the work addresses topics such as: Qualitative methods that are capable of rationalizing chemical concepts derived from theory and computation Fundamental concepts like the computation of chemical bonding, weak interactions, and reactivity Computational approaches for chemical concepts in excited states, extended systems, and time-dependent processes Theoretical chemists and physicists, as well as those applying theoretical calculations to empirical problems, will be able to use this book to gain unique insight into how theory intersects with experimental data in the field of qualitative computation.

Focusing on recent developments and current priorities in various areas of physics, this book presents advances in high temperature superconductivity and super fluidity, physics of low dimensional systems, Bose-Einstein condensation, quantum dots, collective modes in finite systems, coherent correlations of particles, coherence of atomic levels under extreme conditions, tensor correlations in nuclei, super-heavy nuclei, the effect of relativity in nuclear structure, molecular dynamics and phase transitions in solids, nuclei and quarks and QCD dynamics for hadrons and hadronic matter.

This primer is aimed at elevating graduate students of condensed matter theory to a level where they can engage in independent research. Topics covered include second quantisation, path and functional field integration, mean-field theory and collective phenomena.