Rigorous bridge

According to complexity theory, chemistry can be regarded as a science that emerges from physics. Chemistry describes patterns and rules that occur at a more complex level than the physics that govern them. However, these patterns and rules are rooted in physics and can be predicted from it via powerful equations such as the Schrödinger equation. Sophisticated algorithms have been developed to produce accurate solutions of this equation efficiently. However, the methods behind these algorithms offer very little if any chemical insight.

A central question is how much chemical insight ideas survive the scrutiny of modern interpretative theories. In other words, can we rigorously show how chemistry emerges from physics, in a future-proof way? Of course this is an ambitious research program but it has been achieved to some extent by QCT and alternative approaches.