Shannon and R\'enyi entropies of molecular densities: insights into extensivity and the incomplete description of electron correlation
Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 05:19 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Electron-density entropies fail to capture static correlation and often violate extensivity.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Through algebraic and numerical analysis, the paper shows that Shannon and Rényi entropies based on electron densities fail to encode the amount of static correlation in the wavefunction for minimal-basis sets and various theoretical levels. Shape-function Shannon entropies and Rényi entropies with alpha not equal to 1 violate extensivity. In larger basis sets, Hartree-Fock densities overestimate entropy compared to correlated densities, and insufficiently correlated methods violate extensivity. This indicates that electron-density-based measures are insufficient for capturing static correlation.
What carries the argument
The decomposition of entropic measures into additive and nonadditive contributions using a Mulliken-like atomic partition, combined with asymptotic analysis at the infinite-internuclear-distance limit.
If this is right
- Shannon and Rényi entropies from densities do not match the static correlation in the underlying wavefunction.
- Shape-function based Shannon and certain Rényi entropies violate extensivity.
- Hartree-Fock densities overestimate entropy relative to correlated wavefunctions in larger basis sets.
- Methods lacking sufficient correlation violate extensivity in their entropies.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- Robust entropic descriptors for correlation may require using higher-dimensional objects like the wavefunction or two-particle densities rather than one-particle density.
- Information-theoretic tools in quantum chemistry might need redesign to properly handle dissociation limits and static correlation.
- These findings could extend to other density-based functionals or information measures used in molecular analysis.
Load-bearing premise
The Mulliken-like atomic partition and the infinite-separation analysis accurately isolate and measure the static correlation and extensivity properties from the wavefunction.
What would settle it
If the difference in these entropies between uncorrelated and correlated calculations at dissociation does not align with known static correlation measures like the difference in energy or natural orbital occupations, that would challenge the claim of insufficiency.
Figures
read the original abstract
In this work, we investigate the reliability of information-theoretic measures based on the electron-density and shape-function, specifically Shannon and R\'enyi entropies, as descriptors of electronic correlation. By establishing a rigorous decomposition of these entropic measures into additive and nonadditive contributions, supported on a Mulliken-like atomic partition of molecules, we systematically analyze the asymptotic behavior of the entropies at the infinite-internuclear-distance limit to assess the problem of static correlation and extensivity. Our algebraic and numerical analysis reveals several flaws in the use of these density-based descriptors. We demonstrate that for minimal-basis and different theoretical levels, the Shannon and R\'enyi entropies fail to encode the amount of static correlation conveyed by the underlying wavefunction. Conversely, shape-function Shannon entropies and R\'enyi entropies (for $\alpha \neq 1$) violate extensivity. In larger basis sets, uncorrelated Hartree-Fock densities consistently overestimate entropy compared to sufficiently correlated (e.g., full-valence-CAS) densities. Moreover, the entropies for insufficiently correlated methods violate extensivity. These findings indicate that electron-density-based measures are insufficient for capturing static correlation, suggesting that robust entropic descriptors should be constructed from higher-dimensional Hilbert-space objects.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript claims that Shannon and Rényi entropies computed from the electron density and shape function are unreliable descriptors of static electron correlation. Using a Mulliken-like atomic partition to decompose the entropies into additive and non-additive contributions, the authors perform algebraic analysis and numerical calculations at the infinite-separation limit across minimal and larger basis sets and methods (HF vs. full-valence CAS). They report that these density-based measures fail to encode the static correlation present in the wavefunction, that shape-function Rényi entropies violate extensivity, and that HF densities overestimate entropy relative to correlated methods; the conclusion is that robust entropic descriptors require higher-dimensional Hilbert-space objects.
Significance. If the central findings hold after addressing partition dependence, the work would usefully caution against over-reliance on one-electron density entropies for correlation diagnostics and motivate development of wavefunction- or reduced-density-matrix-based alternatives. The algebraic decomposition and infinite-separation asymptotics constitute a clear, falsifiable framework that could be extended to other information measures.
major comments (2)
- [Abstract and decomposition section] The headline claim that density-based entropies 'fail to encode' static correlation depends on the Mulliken-like atomic partition and the infinite-separation asymptotic analysis (Abstract and the decomposition procedure). Because this partition is known to be basis-set dependent and can mix delocalization errors with correlation signatures, the non-additivity observed may be an artifact of the chosen decomposition rather than an intrinsic limitation of the electron density. Alternative partitions (Hirshfeld, Bader, or Voronoi) should be tested on the same systems to establish whether the reported failure is robust.
- [Numerical results and tables] The numerical evidence that HF overestimates entropy relative to CAS and that insufficiently correlated methods violate extensivity is presented for minimal-basis and larger-basis calculations, but the manuscript does not report error bars, convergence with respect to active-space size, or a quantitative measure of how much static correlation is missed by the entropy values. Without these controls, it is difficult to judge whether the observed discrepancies are decisive or merely reflect the known limitations of HF versus CAS.
minor comments (1)
- [Abstract] The abstract states that 'shape-function Shannon entropies and Rényi entropies (for α ≠ 1) violate extensivity'; the precise definition of the shape function and the value of α used in the Rényi calculations should be stated explicitly in the main text for reproducibility.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the detailed and constructive report. We address the major comments below, providing clarifications and indicating where revisions will be made to strengthen the manuscript.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: [Abstract and decomposition section] The headline claim that density-based entropies 'fail to encode' static correlation depends on the Mulliken-like atomic partition and the infinite-separation asymptotic analysis (Abstract and the decomposition procedure). Because this partition is known to be basis-set dependent and can mix delocalization errors with correlation signatures, the non-additivity observed may be an artifact of the chosen decomposition rather than an intrinsic limitation of the electron density. Alternative partitions (Hirshfeld, Bader, or Voronoi) should be tested on the same systems to establish whether the reported failure is robust.
Authors: The Mulliken-like partition was selected specifically because it enables an exact algebraic decomposition of the entropies into additive and non-additive parts that is particularly transparent in the infinite-separation limit. This allows us to demonstrate analytically that the non-additive contributions do not reflect the static correlation encoded in the wavefunction. Although Mulliken charges are basis-set dependent, our numerical results show the same qualitative failure across both minimal and larger basis sets. We recognize that other partitions could yield different numerical values; however, the core algebraic argument that density-based entropies cannot capture multi-reference character without higher-order information remains independent of the partition. To address the referee's concern, we will include in the revised manuscript a brief discussion of partition dependence and perform additional calculations using the Hirshfeld partition for the key systems to verify robustness. revision: partial
-
Referee: [Numerical results and tables] The numerical evidence that HF overestimates entropy relative to CAS and that insufficiently correlated methods violate extensivity is presented for minimal-basis and larger-basis calculations, but the manuscript does not report error bars, convergence with respect to active-space size, or a quantitative measure of how much static correlation is missed by the entropy values. Without these controls, it is difficult to judge whether the observed discrepancies are decisive or merely reflect the known limitations of HF versus CAS.
Authors: The calculations are deterministic, so error bars are not applicable in the usual sense; the differences between HF and full-valence CAS are systematic and exceed any numerical precision issues. The full-valence CAS represents the complete active space for the valence electrons in the systems considered, providing the appropriate benchmark for static correlation. We will add a quantitative measure by reporting the difference in entropy values normalized to the static correlation energy or by including the configuration weights from the CAS wavefunction to illustrate the extent of the missed correlation. Additionally, we will clarify in the text that the extensivity violation is evident from the non-vanishing non-additive terms at large separations for HF, while they approach zero for CAS. revision: yes
Circularity Check
No significant circularity in the derivation chain
full rationale
The paper defines a Mulliken-like atomic partition to decompose Shannon and Rényi entropies into additive and non-additive contributions, then derives their infinite-separation asymptotics algebraically and evaluates them numerically for HF versus CAS wavefunctions. These steps rely on established quantum-chemistry methods and partitions without fitting any parameters to the target correlation or extensivity quantities, without self-referential definitions that equate the claimed insufficiency to the input decomposition, and without load-bearing self-citations or smuggled ansatzes. The findings that density-based entropies fail to track static correlation therefore emerge from independent comparisons rather than by construction from the entropy definitions themselves.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (2)
- domain assumption Mulliken-like atomic partition of the molecular density is a valid and unbiased way to define additive versus non-additive entropy contributions.
- domain assumption The infinite-internuclear-distance limit of the entropies directly reflects the static correlation content of the wavefunction.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
Shannon, C. E. A mathematical theory of communication.Bell System Tech- nical Journal27, 379–423 (1948)
work page 1948
-
[2]
Brillouin, L.Science and information theory(Courier Corporation, 2013)
work page 2013
-
[3]
Frieden, B. R., Luo, S. & Plastino, A. Physics and information.Physics Today 60, 14 (2007)
work page 2007
-
[4]
Jaynes, E. T. Information theory and statistical mechanics.Physical Review 106, 620–630 (1957)
work page 1957
-
[5]
Gatenby, R. A. & Frieden, B. R. Information theory in living systems, meth- ods, applications, and challenges.Bulletin of Mathematical Biology69, 635– 657 (2007)
work page 2007
-
[6]
The use of information theory in biology: a historical perspective
Segal, J. The use of information theory in biology: a historical perspective. History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences25, 275–281 (2003)
work page 2003
-
[7]
Gadre, S. R. Information entropy and Thomas-Fermi theory.Physical Review A30, 620–623 (1984)
work page 1984
-
[8]
Sears, S. B., Parr, R. G. & Dinur, U. On the quantum-mechanical kinetic energy as a measure of the information in a distribution.Israel Journal of Chemistry19, 165–173 (1980)
work page 1980
-
[9]
Yáñez, R. J., Van Assche, W. & Dehesa, J. S. Position and momentum information entropies of the D-dimensional harmonic oscillator and hydrogen atom.Physical Review A50, 3065–3071 (1994)
work page 1994
-
[10]
Ho, M., Sagar, R. P. & Smith, V. H. Atomic information entropies beyond the Hartree-Fock limit.Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics27, 5149–5157 (1994)
work page 1994
-
[11]
Tripathi, A. N., Sagar, R. P., Esquivel, R. O. & Smith, V. H. Electron correla- tion in momentum space: The beryllium-atom isoelectronic sequence.Physical Review A45, 4385–4392 (1992)
work page 1992
-
[12]
Guevara, N. L., Sagar, R. P. & Esquivel, R. O. Shannon-information entropy 30 sum as a correlation measure in atomic systems.Physical Review A67, 012507 (2003)
work page 2003
-
[13]
Guevara, N. L., Sagar, R. P. & Esquivel, R. O. Information uncertainty-type inequalities in atomic systems.Journal of Chemical Physics119, 7030–7036 (2003)
work page 2003
-
[14]
Hô, M., Sagar, R. P., Pérez-Jordá, J. M., Smith, V. H. & Esquivel, R. O. A numerical study of molecular information entropies.Chemical Physics Letters 219, 15–20 (1994)
work page 1994
- [15]
-
[16]
Noorizadeh, S. & Shakerzadeh, E. Shannon entropy as a new measure of aromaticity, Shannon aromaticity.Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics12, 4742–4749 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[17]
Ayers, P. W. Information theory, the shape function, and the Hirshfeld atom. Theoretical Chemistry Accounts115, 370–378 (2006)
work page 2006
-
[18]
Sagar, R. P. & Guevara, N. L. Mutual information and correlation measures in atomic systems.Journal of Chemical Physics123, 044108 (2005)
work page 2005
-
[19]
F.Information theory of molecular systems(Elsevier, 2006)
Nalewajski, R. F.Information theory of molecular systems(Elsevier, 2006)
work page 2006
-
[20]
Welearegay, M. A., Balawender, R. & Holas, A. Information and complexity measures in molecular reactivity studies.Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 16, 14928–14946 (2014)
work page 2014
-
[21]
Molina-Espíritu, M., Esquivel, R. O., López-Rosa, S. & Dehesa, J. S. Quan- tum entanglement and chemical reactivity.Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation11, 5144–5151 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[22]
Aliverti-Piuri, D.et al.What can quantum information theory offer to quan- tum chemistry?Faraday Discussions254, 76–106 (2024)
work page 2024
-
[23]
Stein, C. J. & Reiher, M. Measuring multi-configurational character by orbital entanglement.Molecular Physics115, 2110–2119 (2017). 31
work page 2017
-
[24]
Boguslawski, K., Tecmer, P. & Legeza, Ö. Analysis of two-orbital correlations in wave functions restricted to electron-pair states.Physical Review B94, 155126 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[25]
Sagar, R. P., Ramírez, J. C., Esquivel, R. O., Hô, M. & Smith, V. H. Relation- ships between Jaynes entropy of the one-particle density matrix and Shannon entropy of the electron densities.Journal of Chemical Physics116, 9213–9221 (2002)
work page 2002
-
[26]
Barrales-Martínez, C., Durán, R. & Caballero, J. Shannon entropy variation as a global indicator of electron density contraction at interatomic regions in chemical reactions.Journal of Molecular Modeling30, 371 (2024)
work page 2024
- [27]
-
[28]
Nalewajski, R. F. Entropic measures of bond multiplicity from the information theory.Journal of Physical Chemistry A104, 11940–11951 (2000)
work page 2000
-
[29]
Angulo, J. C. & Antolín, J. Atomic complexity measures in position and momentum spaces.Journal of Chemical Physics128, 164109 (2008)
work page 2008
-
[30]
Böttcher, T. An additive definition of molecular complexity.Journal of Chem- ical Information and Modeling56, 462–470 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[31]
Nagy, Á. & Romera, E. Rényi entropy and complexity.Statistical Complexity: Applications in Electronic Structure215–235 (2011)
work page 2011
-
[32]
Hô, M.et al.Molecular similarity based on information entropies and dis- tances.Journal of Chemical Physics108, 5469–5475 (1998)
work page 1998
-
[33]
Lin, S.-K. Correlation of entropy with similarity and symmetry.Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences36, 367–376 (1996)
work page 1996
-
[34]
Liu, S., Rong, C. & Lu, T. Information conservation principle determines electrophilicity, nucleophilicity, and regioselectivity.The Journal of Physical Chemistry A118, 3698–3704 (2014). URLhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ jp5032702. 32
work page 2014
-
[35]
Ludeña, E. V., Torres, F. J., Becerra, M., Rincón, L. & Liu, S. Shannon entropy and fisher information from a non-born–oppenheimer perspective.The Journal of Physical Chemistry A124, 386–394 (2019). URLhttp://dx.doi. org/10.1021/acs.jpca.9b10503
-
[36]
Nalewajski, R. F. Additive and non-additive information channels in orbital communication theory of the chemical bond.Journal of Mathematical Chem- istry47, 709–738 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[37]
Nalewajski, R. F. Use of non-additive information measures in exploring molecular electronic structure: stockholder bonded atoms and role of kinetic energy in the chemical bond.Journal of Mathematical Chemistry47, 667–691 (2010)
work page 2010
-
[38]
Esquivel, R. O.et al.Fisher information and steric effect: Study of the in- ternal rotation barrier of ethane.The Journal of Physical Chemistry A115, 4406–4415 (2011). URLhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp1095272
-
[39]
Nalewajski, R. F. & Parr, R. G. Information theory, atoms in molecules, and molecular similarity.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences97, 8879–8882 (2000)
work page 2000
-
[40]
Nalewajski, R. F. On entropy-continuity descriptors of molecular equilibrium states.Journal of Mathematical Chemistry54, 932–954 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[41]
Nalewajski, R. F. Quantum information descriptors in position and momen- tum spaces.Journal of Mathematical Chemistry53, 1549–1575 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[42]
Nalewajski, R. F. Information equilibria, subsystem entanglement, and dy- namics of the overall entropic descriptors of molecular electronic structure. Journal of Molecular Modeling24, 1–15 (2018)
work page 2018
-
[43]
Nalewajski, R. F. & Parr, R. G. Information theory thermodynamics of molecules and their Hirshfeld fragments.Journal of Physical Chemistry A 105, 7391–7400 (2001)
work page 2001
-
[44]
Harrison, J. F. A Hirshfeld interpretation of the charge, spin distribution, and polarity of the dipole moment of the open shell (3-) nitrogen halides: NF, NCl, and NBr.Journal of Chemical Physics131, 044117 (2009). 33
work page 2009
-
[45]
Mandado, M., Van Alsenoy, C. & Mosquera, R. A. Comparison of the AIM and Hirshfeld totals, charge distributions: A study of protonation and hydride addition processes.Journal of Physical Chemistry A108, 7050–7055 (2004)
work page 2004
-
[46]
Bučinský, L., Jayatilaka, D. & Grabowsky, S. Relativistic quantum crystal- lography of diphenyl- and dicyanomercury: Theoretical structure factors and Hirshfeld atom refinement.Acta Crystallographica Section A75, 705–717 (2019)
work page 2019
-
[47]
Gaur, R. Unraveling non-covalent interactions in bis-chalcone: A crystallo- graphic and theoretical studies.Journal of Molecular Structure1297, 136952 (2024)
work page 2024
-
[48]
Zhang, G.-X., Tkatchenko, A., Paier, J., Appel, H. & Scheffler, M. van der Waals interactions in ionic and semiconductor solids.Physical Review Letters 107, 245501 (2011)
work page 2011
- [49]
-
[50]
Ding, L., Matito, E. & Schilling, C. From entanglement to bonds: Chem- ical bonding concepts from quantum information theory.arXiv preprint arXiv:2501.15699(2025)
-
[51]
Boguslawski, K. & Tecmer, P. Orbital entanglement in quantum chemistry. International Journal of Quantum Chemistry115, 1289–1295 (2014)
work page 2014
-
[52]
Orbital entanglement and correlation
Schilling, C. Orbital entanglement and correlation. In Stahlhofen, M.et al. (eds.)Simulating Correlations with Computers, 261–288 (Springer, 2021)
work page 2021
-
[53]
Geerlings, P.et al.Conceptual density functional theory: Status, prospects, issues.Theoretical Chemistry Accounts139, 36 (2020)
work page 2020
-
[54]
Zhao, Y., Zhao, D., Rong, C., Liu, S. & Ayers, P. W. Extending the information-theoretic approach from the (one) electron density to the pair density.Journal of Chemical Physics162, 244101 (2025)
work page 2025
-
[55]
URLhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00697
He, X.et al.Energetic information from information-theoretic approach in density functional theory as quantitative measures of physicochemical prop- 34 erties.Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation20, 6049–6061 (2024). URLhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00697
- [56]
-
[57]
Zhao, Y., Zhao, D., Rong, C., Liu, S. & Ayers, P. W. Information theory meets quantum chemistry: A review and perspective.Entropy27, 644 (2025)
work page 2025
-
[58]
Nalewajski, R. F. Entropic concepts in electronic structure theory.Founda- tions of Chemistry16, 27–62 (2014)
work page 2014
-
[59]
Levine, R. D. The theory and practice of the maximum entropy formalism. In Maximum Entropy and Bayesian Methods in Applied Statistics, 59–84 (Cam- bridge, 1986)
work page 1986
-
[60]
Parr, R. G., Ayers, P. W. & Nalewajski, R. F. What is an atom in a molecule? Journal of Physical Chemistry A109, 3957–3959 (2005)
work page 2005
-
[61]
Lin, C.-H. & Ho, Y. K. Shannon information entropy in position space for two-electron atomic systems.Chemical Physics Letters633, 261–264 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[62]
Flores-Gallegos, N. On the calculations of Shannon’s entropy in atoms and molecules I: The continuous case in position and momentum spaces.Chemical Physics Letters720, 1–6 (2019)
work page 2019
-
[63]
Flores-Gallegos, N. & Flores-Gómez, L. An approach to chemical hardness through Shannon’s entropy.Journal of Mathematical Chemistry61, 1726– 1738 (2023)
work page 2023
-
[64]
Matrodi, A. & Noorizadeh, S. N-derivatives of Shannon entropy density as response functions.Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics22, 21535–21542 (2020)
work page 2020
-
[65]
Gadre, S. R. & Bendale, R. D. Information entropies in quantum chemistry. Current Science54, 970–977 (1985)
work page 1985
-
[66]
Gadre, S. R., Sears, S. B., Chakravorty, S. J. & Bendale, R. D. Some novel 35 characteristics of atomic information entropies.Physical Review A32, 2602– 2606 (1985)
work page 1985
-
[67]
Wang, P.et al.Predicting the Post-Hartree-Fock electron correlation energy of complex systems with the information-theoretic approach.Molecules30, 3500 (2025)
work page 2025
-
[68]
Guevara, N. L., Sagar, R. P. & Esquivel, R. O. Local correlation measures in atomic systems.Journal of Chemical Physics122, 084101 (2005)
work page 2005
-
[69]
Hò, M.et al.An information-entropic study of correlated densities of the water molecule.Journal of Chemical Physics109, 10620–10627 (1998)
work page 1998
-
[70]
Ho, M.et al.Shannon entropy of chemical changes: SN2 displacement reac- tions.International Journal of Quantum Chemistry77, 376–382 (2000)
work page 2000
-
[71]
Bader, R. F. W.Theory of atoms in molecules(Oxford University Press, 1995)
work page 1995
-
[72]
He, X.et al.Towards understanding metal aromaticity in different spin states: A density functional theory and information-theoretic approach anal- ysis.Chemical Physics Letters761, 138065 (2020)
work page 2020
- [73]
-
[74]
Liu, S.-B. Information-theoretic approach in density functional reactivity the- ory.Acta Physico-Chimica Sinica32, 98–118 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[75]
Flores-Gallegos, N. Generalized Shannon’s entropy as generator of local den- sity functionals.Chemical Physics Letters676, 1–5 (2017)
work page 2017
-
[76]
Flores-Gallegos, N. A possible generalization Shannon’s entropy using q- calculus.Journal of Mathematical Chemistry60, 1840–1853 (2022)
work page 2022
-
[77]
Grassi, A. A relationship between atomic correlation energy of neutral atoms and generalized entropy.International Journal of Quantum Chemistry111, 2390–2397 (2011). 36
work page 2011
-
[78]
Torre, A., Lain, L. & Bochicchio, R. Bond orders and their relationships with cumulant and unpaired electron densities.Journal of Physical Chemistry A 107, 127–130 (2003)
work page 2003
-
[79]
L., Fernández-Alarcón, A., Francisco, E., Costales, A
Casals-Sainz, J. L., Fernández-Alarcón, A., Francisco, E., Costales, A. & Mar- tin Pendas, Á. Bond order densities in real space.Journal of Physical Chem- istry A124, 339–352 (2019)
work page 2019
-
[80]
Collins, D. M. Entropy maximizations on electron density.Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A48, 68–74 (1993)
work page 1993
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.