An improved DIIS method using a versatile residual matrix to accelerate SCF starting from a crude guess

The minimization of the commutator of the Fock and density matrices as the error matrix in the direct inversion of the iterative subspace (CDIIS) developed by Pulay is a powerful self-consistent field (SCF) acceleration technique for the construction of optimum Fock matrix, if initiated with a fair initial guess. In this work, we present an alternative minimized error matrix to the commutator in the CDIIS, namely the residual or the gradient of the energy-functional for a Slater determinant subject to the orthonormality constraints among orbitals, representing the search for a newly improved Fock matrix in the direction of the residual in the direct inversion of the iterative subspace (RDIIS). Implemented in the computational chemistry package GAMESS, the RDIIS is compared with the standard CDIIS and the second order SCF orbital optimization (SOSCF) for tested molecules started with a crude guess. As a result, the RDIIS stably and efficiently performs the SCF convergence acceleration. Furthermore, the RDIIS is considerably independent on the subspace size with the concentrated linear coefficients accounting proportionally for the Fock matrices close to the current iteration. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.