Direct calculation of ionization energies

The advantages of the propagator formalism, as a direct method of calculating ionization energies, are stressed. The propagator equations are derived for closed-shell systems using an operator method instead of the usual diagrammatic derivations. The equations enable the development of an interpretation of the ionization energies in terms of conceptually simple quantities, such as pair correlation energies and associated relaxation effects, and retain the idea of orbital ionization. Infinite summations appearing in the self-energy terms are replaced by finite expressions involving functions satisfying uncoupled inhomogeneous differential equations. Certain high-order propagator equations are derived, and a connection with the Bethe-Goldstone formulation of pair correlation is made. Several computational procedures are advocated as forming the basis for balanced calculations of atomic and molecular ionization energies.