Fundamentals of Quantum Chemistry

An introduction to the principles of quantum mechanics needed in physical chemistry. Mathematical tools are presented and developed as needed and only basic calculus, chemistry, and physics is assumed. Applications include atomic and molecular structure, spectroscopy, alpha decay, tunneling, and superconductivity. New edition includes sections on perturbation theory, orbital symmetry of diatomic molecules, the Huckel MO method and Woodward/Hoffman rules as well as a new chapter on SCF and Hartree-Fock methods.

Table of Contents:
1. The Early Days 2. The Quantum Mechanical Way of Doing Things 3. Particles in Boxes 4. The Hydrogen Atom 5. More Complex Atoms 6. Vibrations and the Harmonic Oscillator 7. Molecular Rotation and Spectroscopy 8. Barrier Penetration 9. Diatomic Molecules 10. Symmetry 11. Hückel Molecular Orbital Methods 12. More Complete Molecular Orbital Methods

About the Author :
James E. House is Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at Illinois State University, where he taught for 32 years. His teaching included a wide range of courses in general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, chemical kinetics, and special topics courses in solid state, nuclear, and descriptive chemistry. He also served as Visiting Professor of Chemistry and Advanced Studies at the University of Illinois in 1991 and Visiting Professor at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1997 and 2002. His research led to 135 publications in professional journals, many of them dealing with kinetics of reactions in solids. House was also active in the Illinois Academy of Sciences. He served as its President in 1976 and as Editor of the Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Sciences for five years and is an elected Fellow of the Academy. He is included in American Men and Women of Science, Who's Who in Technology, and Outstanding Educators of America (1972). In recent years, House has become interested in airguns, which led to his book American Air Rifles (Krause, 2001). He is on the editorial boards of two magazines in that field and writes for several others.

Review :
"This is an excellent book to use as an introduction to the techniques and concepts met in theoretical chemistry by undergraduate and beginning graduate students...The organization and style of the book are such that a student would find it easy to read and follow the physical, chemical, and mathematical principles." - Jim McTavish, Liverpool John Moores University "I wish to thank Professor J. E. House for [the first edition] which I found in the Chemistry library here at Columbia. His book is excellent. It states the basics clearly, and he teaches what a new student needs to know. When I read the author's text he seemed like my own professor because he was so generous." -Alison Winfield, Columbia University "[This is a] brief need to know introduction to some of the more important topics in elementary quantum mechanics. Over the years I have used two other books similar to this one, both of which were inferior to House's book." -Kurt Christoffel, Augustana College