This textbook introduces the perturbation molecular orbital (PMO) th,
eory of organic chemistry. Organic chemistry encompasses the largest
body of factual 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