Assessment of the GW approximation using Hubbard chains

We investigate the performance of the GW approximation by comparison to exact results for small model systems. The role of the chemical potentials in Dyson's equation as well as the consequences of numerical resonance broadening are examined, and we show how a proper treatment can improve computational implementations of many-body perturbation theory in general. GW and exchange-only calculations are performed over a wide range of fractional band fillings and correlation strengths. We thus identify the physical situations where these schemes are applicable.