Half-Projected Hartree–Fock method: History and application to excited states of the same symmetry as the ground state

Spin projected wave functions are generalizations of the Hartree–Fock wave function. Among them, the Half-Projected Hartree–Fock (HPHF) wave function is a nearly pure wave function of spin and recovers a small part of the spin correlation energy. This paper reviews the history of the HPHF theory, not only from the conceptual point of view but also providing a compilation of the publications of this method over the years until now. In addition, the extension of the HPHF method to the calculation of excited states with the same symmetry as the ground state will be discussed. The possible variational collapse during the calculation of a singlet excited state of the same symmetry as the ground state is avoided by orthogonalizing a pair of corresponding orbitals, one occupied and one virtual orbital, at every step of the variational process. As an example, the potential energy surfaces of the S0 ground and 1S1(n, π*) first excited state of the formic acid HCOOH are calculated.