Abstract
The application of the empirical pseudopotential method to the study of the electronic and optical properties of the germanium polytypes is investigated. It is found that there is sufficient arbitrariness inherent in the interpolation of the available empirical data for the germanium form factor to allow significant uncertainties in the predicted band structure. An independent augmented plane wave calculation of the band structure appropriate to the hypothetical germanium wurtzite structure suggests a new interpolation for the germanium pseudopotential form factor.