local orbitals

Local orbitals refer to electronic orbitals that are confined to a specific region within a molecule or solid, often associated with particular atoms or bonds. They provide a useful framework for understanding chemical bonding, reactivity, and electronic structure by focusing on localized electron density rather than delocalized molecular orbitals. Local orbitals are commonly employed in computational chemistry and quantum chemistry to simplify calculations and interpret complex systems in terms of more intuitive, atom-centered or bond-centered functions.