Solution of the Bethe-Faddeev equation by direct matrix inversion

The contribution of the three-body correlations to the binding energy of symmetric nuclear matter is calculated by solving the Bethe-Faddeev equation by direct matrix inversion in momentum space. The calculations described in this paper provide both a check and, from a practical point of view, an easier alternative to previous calculations relying on a separable approximation to the G matrix appearing in the Bethe-Faddeev kernel.