This textbook introduces the perturbation molecular orbital (PMO) th,
eory of organic chemistry. Organic chemistry encompasses the largest
body offactual information of any of the major divisions of science. The
sheer bulk of the subject matter makes many demands on any theory that
attempts to systematize it. Time has shown that the PMO method meets
these demands admirably. The PMO method can provide practicing chemists
with both a pictorial description of bonding and qualitative theoretical
results that are well founded in more sophisticated treatments. The only
requirements for use of the theory are high school algebra and a pencil
and paper. The treatment described in this book is by no means new.
Indeed, it was developed as a complete theory of organic chemistry more
than twenty years ago. Although it was demonstrably superior to
resonance theory and no more complicated to use, it escaped notice for
two very simple reasons. First, the original papers describing it were
very condensed, perhaps even obscure, and contained few if any examples.
Second, for various reasons, no general account appeared in book form
until 1969, * and this was still relatively inaccessible, being in the
form of a monograph where molecular orbital (MO) theory was treated
mainly at a much more sophisticated level. The generality of the PMO
method is illustrated by the fact that all the new developments over the
last two decades can be accommodated in i