Comparison of contracted Schrödinger and coupled-cluster theories

The theory of the contracted Schrödinger equation (CSE) [D. A. Mazziotti, Phys. Rev. A 57, 4219 (1998)] is connected with traditional methods of electronic structure including configuration-interaction (CI) and coupled-cluster (CC) theory. We derive a transition contracted Schrödinger equation (TCSE) which depends on the wave function $\psi$ as well as another N-particle function $\chi$ through the two-, three-, and four-particle reduced transition matrices (RTMs). By reconstructing the 3 and 4 RTMs approximately from the 2-RTM, the indeterminacy of the equation may be removed. The choice of the reconstruction and the function $\chi$ determines whether one obtains the CI, CC, or CSE theory. Through cumulant theory and Grassmann algebra we derive reconstruction formulas for the 3- and 4-RTMs which generalize both the reduced density matrix (RDM) cumulant expansions as well as the exponential ansatz for the CC wave function. This produces a fresh approach to CC theory through RTMs. Two theoretical differences between the CC and the CSE theories are established for energetically nondegenerate states: (i) while the CSE has a single exact solution when the 3- and 4-RDMs are N-representable, the CC equations with N-representable 3- and 4-RTMs have a family of solutions. Thus, N-representability conditions offer a medium for improving the CSE solution but not the CC solution, and (ii) while the 2-RDM for an electronic Hamiltonian reconstructs to unique N-representable 3- and 4-RDMs, the 2-RTM builds to a family of N-representable 3- and 4-RTMs. Hence, renormalized reconstructions beyond the cumulant expansion may be developed for the 2-RDM but not for the 2-RTM without explicit use of the Hamiltonian. In the applications we implement our recently developed reconstruction formula for the 3-RDM which extends beyond the cumulant approximation. Calculations compare the 3-RDM and 3-RTM reconstructions for the molecules LiH, ${\mathrm{BeH}}_2,$ ${\mathrm{BH}}_3,$ and ${\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$ as well as for systems with more general two-particle interactions. The TCSE offers a unified approach to electronic structure.