Mutual Correlation

Francesco A. Evangelista

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arXiv · 2506.07344

Mutual Correlation

Francesco A. Evangelista

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Abstract

Quantifying correlation and complexity in quantum many-body states is central to advancing theoretical and computational chemistry, physics, and quantum information science. This work introduces a novel framework, mutual correlation, based on the Frobenius norm squared of the two-body reduced density matrix cumulant. Through systematic partitioning of the cumulant norm, mutual correlation quantifies nonadditive correlations among interacting subsystems. Benchmark studies on model systems, including H$_{10}$, N$_{2}$, and p-benzyne, demonstrate its efficacy and computational advantage compared to entropy-based metrics such as orbital mutual information. Maximally correlated orbitals, obtained by maximizing a nonlinear cost function of the mutual correlation, are also considered to identify a basis-independent partitioning of correlation. This study suggests that mutual correlation is a broadly applicable metric, useful in active space selection and the interpretation of electronic states.

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Francesco A. Evangelista. 2025-06-09. Mutual Correlation. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.07344

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