Before we proceed we need some definitions. We will assume that the interacting part of the Hamiltonian can be approximated by a two-body interaction. This means that our Hamiltonian is written as the sum of some onebody part and a twobody part $$ \begin{equation} \hat{H} = \hat{H}_0 + \hat{H}_I = \sum_{i=1}^A \hat{h}_0(x_i) + \sum_{i < j}^A \hat{v}(r_{ij}), \tag{1} \end{equation} $$ with $$ \begin{equation} H_0=\sum_{i=1}^A \hat{h}_0(x_i). \tag{2} \end{equation} $$ The onebody part \( u_{\mathrm{ext}}(x_i) \) is normally approximated by a harmonic oscillator or Woods-Saxon potential or for electronic systems the Coulomb interaction an electron feels from the nucleus. However, other potentials are fully possible, such as one derived from the self-consistent solution of the Hartree-Fock equations to be discussed here.