The Source Function Concept in Chemistry

This chapter reviews the Source Function (SF) concept in Chemistry. In a nutshell, this concept refers to the possibility of envisaging any local value of a scalar function of interest for chemistry as due to the cumulative operation of local sources that originate from all other points of the molecular space and may either concur or oppose to that specific local value. The Source Function concept has been thus far applied to the electron density, the electron spin density and the molecular electrostatic potential scalar fields. A concise overview of interesting applications for each of these fields is provided.