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In [[computational mechanics]] and [[statistical mechanics]], a '''radial distribution function''' (RDF), ''g''(''r''), describes how the density of surrounding matter varies as a function of the distance from a distinguished point. This is normalized by the average density such that the function goes to 1 far from the distinguished point when the medium is even slightly disordered. Locating our distinguished point at the center of a hard-core particle with radius σ, ''g''(''r'') = 0 for ''r'' < σ.
Given a [[potential energy]] function, the radial distribution function can be found via sampling -- see [[statistical mechanics]].
What makes the RDF important is that for certain systems it can be used to calculate most thermodynamically interesting quantities, such as the average energy U or entropy S.
==External links==
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