The mean-field approximation is a method used to simplify the treatment of many-body systems by averaging the effects of all particles on any single particle. This approach allows for a tractable way to handle interactions in complex systems, where each particle feels an average influence from the surrounding particles rather than accounting for all individual interactions. It is particularly relevant in quantum chemistry, especially in techniques such as Hartree-Fock theory, where it helps streamline calculations of electron correlations.
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