A variational treatment of the occupation numbers in the local-density approximation that incorporates variable pseudoenergies, rather than the Kohn-Sham eigenvalues, into the Fermi-Dirac distribution function is introduced. Iterative gradient algorithms are used for direct variation of the pseudoenergies. Static and quasidynamical simulations on ${\mathrm{C}}_2$, ${\mathrm{Al}}_4$, and ${\mathrm{Al}}_{12}$Mn are presented.

• Received 29 October 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.43.7312