chemistry

Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff

Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff rather than just read about it. In short: Sigrid Doris Peyerimhoff (born 12 January 1937, in Rottweil) is a theoretical chemist and Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Germany. Education After completing her abitur, Peyerimhoff studied physics at the University of Gießen, completing her degree in 1961 and receiving her doctorate under supervision of Bernhard Kockel in 1963.

Key takeaways

Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Sigrid Doris Peyerimhoff (born 12 January 1937, in Rottweil) is a theoretical chemist and Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Germany.

Education After completing her abitur, Peyerimhoff studied physics at the University of Gießen, completing her degree in 1961 and receiving her doctorate under supervision of Bernhard Kockel in 1963. After researching at the University of Chicago, the University of Washington, and Princeton University, she returned to Germany and gained her habilitation at the University of Gießen in 1967. She became professor for theoretical chemistry at the University of Mainz in 1970, and at the University of Bonn in 1972.

Quantum chemistry Her contributions have been to the development of ab initio quantum chemical methods, in particular, multireference configuration interaction, and to their application in many fields of physics and chemistry. Particular emphasis has been given to electronically excited states, molecular spectra and photochemistry. Many studies are on atmospheric molecules and ions, their lifetimes in excited states and decomposition due to radiative and non-radiative processes, and on stability and spectra of clusters. Some of her students became well known for their contribution to quantum chemistry, including Bernd Engels, Stefan Grimme, Bernd A. Hess, Christel Marian, Matthias Ernzerhoff and Bernd M. Nestmann.

Awards and honors During her career, she received several awards and memberships:

1977 Medal of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science 1988 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz-Prize 1994 Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 2007 Cothenius Medal of the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 2008 Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 2011 Honorary doctor of the University of Ulm She is also a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science

Publications She is the author of over 400 original articles in various international journals and coauthor of Umweltstandards: Fakten und Bewertungsprobleme am Beispiel des Strahlenrisikos. Her history of computational chemistry in Germany is of particular note. She edited Interactions in Molecules.

Partial bibliography Peyerimhoff, Sigrid D. Interactions in Molecules: Electronic and Steric Effects. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH, 2003. ISBN 3-527-27732-3 Peyerimhoff, Sigrid. Ab initio – Ein Leben für die Quantenchemie [Ab initio – a life for quantum chemistry] (in German). Berlin: GNT Publishing, 2025. ISBN 978-3-86225-138-4; e-book: ISBN 978-3-86225-573-3, doi: 10.47261/1573 (autobiography)

References

External links Her International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science web page University of Bonn web page

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff

In research: Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1937 births, 20th-century German chemists, 20th-century German women scientists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff in simple terms?

Sigrid Doris Peyerimhoff (born 12 January 1937, in Rottweil) is a theoretical chemist and Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Germany. Education After completing her abitur, Peyerimhoff studied physics at the University of Gießen, completin…

Why does Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sigrid D. Peyerimhoff.