METHODS IN COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS
VOLUME 8
ENERGY BANDS OF SOLIDS

Preface:

Computer calculations in solid state physics are of such a wide range that they cannot be conveniently covered in one book. A future volume could be devoted to the more classical problems such as phonon spectrum, x-ray diffraction, and defect calculations. In this volume an attempt has been made to represent the major approaches to band calculations in perfect solids. These all necessarily involve the computer in some essential way, bat these also show, perhaps mor than in any other subject covered in this series, the enormous limitations of even the most powerful computer to solve accurately the given physical problem. The problems are so complex, in fact, that in the majority of the papers the interesting suggestion is made that the simplified models which can be solved on the computer be supplemented by the adjustment of parameters based on either empirical information or physical arguments.

We have been very fortunate, indeed, that Professor J. C. Slater has agreed to write the introduction to this volume, which gives in a masterly fashion a perspective, both on the complexity as well as on the relative merits of the calculations.