Rationale for mixing exact exchange with density functional approximations

Density functional approximations for the exchange-correlation energy EDFAxc of an electronic system are often improved by admixing some exact exchange Ex: Exc≊EDFAxc+(1/n)(Ex−EDFAx). This procedure is justified when the error in EDFAxc arises from the λ=0 or exchange end of the coupling-constant integral ∫10 dλ EDFAxc,λ. We argue that the optimum integer n is approximately the lowest order of Görling–Levy perturbation theory which provides a realistic description of the coupling-constant dependence Exc,λ in the range 0≤λ≤1, whence n≊4 for atomization energies of typical molecules. We also propose a continuous generalization of n as an index of correlation strength, and a possible mixing of second-order perturbation theory with the generalized gradient approximation.