January 6, 1939

Dr. Hubert M. James

Department of Physics

Purdue University

Lafayette, Indiana

Dear Dr. James:

In connection with some work which Dr. Alexander Kossiakoff is carrying out under my direction on an approximate method for calculating anisotropy of polarizability of molecules, it has become desirable to evaluate the integrals giving the mean value of z₁ and of x₁ for the hydrogen molecule, where these represent coordinates of one of the electrons relative to a point intermediate between the nuclei. So far as we can see, the job of evaluating these two integrals for one of your best wave functions for the hydrogen molecule would be very great, because of the necessity of evaluating numerically the very large number of integrals involved. It has occurred to me that you might have carried out the calculation of these mean values or that you might have in your notes enough material to permit these integrals to be evaluated without much effort. If this is so, could you provide us with the results?

With best wishes for the New Year, and the hope that your application for a Guggenheim fellowship is successful, I am

Sincerely yours,

Linus Pauling

LP/jr