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Quantum Theory of Electrons in Matter: Notes, Chords, and Symphonies
Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Presented by Dr. Axel D. Becke, Canada Council Killam Prize Winner in Natural Sciences 2016 & Professor Emeritus, Dalhousie University

All matter in our everyday lives -- everything we touch and see, the stuff of which we ourselves are made -- consists of electrons moving in the fields of atomic nuclei. The theory governing the motions of electrons is called quantum theory. In this lecture, the fundamentals of quantum theory will be explained in simple terms, drawing heavily on musical analogies. It gets complicated, however, when very large numbers of electrons are involved, as is the case in the matter around us. A branch of quantum theory called "density-functional" theory can handle problems involving many - even countless - electrons, and is the foundation of most electronic structure computations today. Dr. Becke's contributions to the theory, including personal reminiscences of a career in science, will be discussed. More information is available at dal.ca/killamlecture