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Pauli Exclusion Principle

Kristina Trifonova

The Pauli Exclusion Principle states that two electrons cannot occupy the same quantum state simultaneously. This principle arises because electrons are fermions, or particles with half-integer spins. In contrast with bosons, which have integer spins and can condense into a single quantum state, fermions must obey antisymmetry that demands each quantum state to be singly occupied. As such, electrons may not share all four of their quantum numbers.

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Potential Energy Surface

Cooper R. Johnston

Potential energy surfaces are functions which map molecular configurations to real values representing chemical potential energies. These are generally functions of very high dimensional spaces which must independently represent the locations of each atom in the system. These surfaces play a vital role in the study of small molecule reactions, catalysis, biological systems, and other more broad phenomena in chemistry and physics.

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