Instructions for using GAMESS

A sample GAMESS input file for H2O illustrating the use of a Z matrix to input the nuclear positions
 $CONTRL SCFTYP=RHF RUNTYP=OPTIMIZE MPLEVL=2 UNITS=ANGS  <---- job control parameters
   COORD=ZMT ISPHER=1 $END <---- job control parameters 
 $SYSTEM MEMORY=1000000 $END <---- job control parameters 
 $BASIS GBASIS=N31 NGAUSS=6 NPFUNC=1 NDFUNC=1 $END <---- job control parameters (basis set) 
 $DATA <---- beginning of the $DATA group, where the geometry is described
 H2O, geometry optimization, 6-31G(d,p) basis set <---- your comment (ignored by GAMESS) 
 Cnv  2 <----molecular point group 
blank line 
 O                <------------------- Z matrix 
 H 1 roh          <------------------- Z matrix 
 H 1 roh 2 ang    <------------------- Z matrix 
blank line 
 roh=0.957          <------------------- initial value of roh 
 ang=104.5          <------------------- initial value of ang 
 $END <---- end of the $DATA group
This input file corresponds to geometry optimization (RUNTYP=OPTIMIZE), using the closed-shell (SCFTYP=RHF) MBPT(2)=MP2 (MPLEVL=2) method and the 6-31G(d,p) (GBASIS=N31 NGAUSS=6 NPFUNC=1 NDFUNC=1) basis set. The lowest core orbital is kept frozen (the default in GAMESS is to freeze all chemical core orbitals in the correlated calculations). The calculation utilizes the point symmetry of H2O (C2v; cf. "Cnv 2" in the input). ISPHER=1 means that the spherical components of d, f, etc. orbitals (5d, 7f, etc.) are used. COORD=ZMT means that the Gaussian style internal coordinates are used to describe nuclear geometry.

And here is another input, corresponding to coupled-cluster (CR-CC(2,3)) energy calculations for glycine (Jensen and Gordon's GLY12 isomer, the AM1 geometry).

 $CONTRL SCFTYP=RHF RUNTYP=ENERGY CCTYP=CR-CCL UNITS=BOHR ISPHER=1 $END <---- job control parameters
 $SYSTEM MWORDS=5 $END <---- job control parameters 
 $BASIS GBASIS=N31 NGAUSS=6 $END <---- job control parameters (basis set) 
 $DATA <---- beginning of the $DATA group, where the geometry is described
 Glycine...H2N-CH2-COOH...GLY12 isomer...AM1 structure <---- your comment (ignored by GAMESS) 
 C1 <---- molecular point group
 O   8.0    -2.8770919486        1.5073755650        0.3989960497 <---- Cartesian coordinates of the O nucleus
 C   6.0    -0.9993929716        0.2223265108       -0.0939400216
 C   6.0     1.6330980507        1.1263991128       -0.7236778647
 O   8.0    -1.3167079358       -2.3304840070       -0.1955378962
 N   7.0     3.5887721300       -0.1900460352        0.6355723246
 H   1.0     1.7384347574        3.1922914768       -0.2011420479
 H   1.0     1.8051078216        0.9725472539       -2.8503867814
 H   1.0     3.3674278149       -2.0653924379        0.5211399625
 H   1.0     5.2887327108        0.3011058554       -0.0285088728
 H   1.0    -3.0501350657       -2.7557071585        0.2342441831
 $END <---- end of the $DATA group
As you can see, you can use Carterian coordinates for symmetry unique atoms (default in GAMESS) instead of Z-matrix and bohr instead of Angstroem. The CCTYP option controls the type of coupled-cluster calculation you are interested in. For example, CCTYP=CCSD(T) means that you are interested in running the CCSD(T) calculation. Other coupled-cluster options or values of CCTYP available in GAMESS at present (January 2010) include LCCD, CCD, CCSD, R-CC, CR-CC, CR-CCL, CCSD(TQ), CR-CC(Q), EOM-CCSD, and CR-EOM. The CCTYP=CR-CC choice implies the standard, renormalized (R), and completely renormalized (CR) CCSD(T) calculations (all in one; available for the closed-shell RHF references). The CCTYP=CR-CCL option (available for the closed-shell RHF and open-shell ROHF references) executes the most recent, rigorously size extensive, and improved variant of CR-CCSD(T), termed CR-CC(2,3), while providing an automatic access to the CCSD properties as byproduct. The CR-CCSD(T) method and, particularly, the more recent CR-CC(2,3) approach provide a correct description of single bond breaking and biradicals with the ease-of-use of the standard CCSD(T) approach. They remove the failing of CCSD(T) at larger internuclear separations, and CR-CC(2,3) is as accurate as CCSD(T) for molecules near the equilibrium geometries. The CCTYP=CCSD(TQ) and CCTYP=CR-CC(Q) options add quadruples corrections to the CCSD(T) and CR-CCSD(T) energies, respectively, and by running the sequence of the CCTYP=CR-CCL and CCTYP=CR-CC(Q) calculations, one can calculate the CR-CC(2,3)+Q energy (the CR-CC(2,3) energy augmented by quadruples), which is defined as CR-CC(2,3) + [CR-CCSD(TQ),B - CR-CCSD(T)]. The CCTYP=EOM-CCSD and CCTYP=CR-EOM choices execute the excited-state EOMCCSD and CR-EOMCCSD(T) calculations, respectively (for the closed-shell RHF references, i.e., for singlet excited states only). The CR-EOMCCSD(T) approach is particularly useful when the excited states of interest have significant contributions due to two-electron excitations. In addition to energies, one can get access to the one-body reduced density matrices and one-electron properties and transition matrix elements at the CCSD and EOMCCSD levels.

The R-CCSD(T), CR-CCSD(T), CCSD(TQ),B, R-CCSD(TQ), CR-CCSD(TQ), CR-CC(2,3), and CR-EOMCCSD(T) methods have been discovered and developed by the Piecuch group. The Piecuch group has provided all conventional and (completely) renormalized CC and EOMCC options in GAMESS. Work continues in the Piecuch group to enrich the CC GAMESS menu. Among the new enhancements, which should be available to all GAMESS users sometime in 2010, are the electron-attached (EA) and ionized (IP) EOMCC methods that are particularly well suited for open-shell valence systems that differ by one electron from the corresponding closed shells, and the extension of CR-CC(2,3) to excited states, termed CR-EOMCC(2,3). Please note that if you are interested in using coupled-cluster options in GAMESS, you are asked to cite one or more appropriate papers from the Piecuch group, listed in the output, in addition to the standard GAMESS references: "General Atomic and Molecular Electronic Structure System" M.W.Schmidt, K.K.Baldridge, J.A.Boatz, S.T.Elbert, M.S.Gordon, J.H.Jensen, S.Koseki, N.Matsunaga, K.A.Nguyen, S.J.Su, T.L.Windus, M.Dupuis, J.A.Montgomery J.Comput.Chem. 14, 1347-1363 (1993) and "Advances in electronic structure theory: GAMESS a decade later" M.S.Gordon, M.W.Schmidt Chapter 41, pp 1167-1189, in "Theory and Applications of Computational Chemistry, the first forty years" C.E.Dykstra, G.Frenking, K.S.Kim, G.E.Scuseria, editors Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2005. Here is how the relevant sections of the output, where the appropriate citations are provided, look like:

SCFTYP=RHF:

 *****************************************************************
 THE FOLLOWING PAPERS SHOULD BE CITED WHEN USING COUPLED-CLUSTER
 OPTIONS:

 CCTYP = LCCD, CCD, CCSD, CCSD(T)
 P. PIECUCH, S.A. KUCHARSKI, K. KOWALSKI, AND M. MUSIAL,
 COMP. PHYS. COMMUN. 149, 71-96 (2002).

 CCTYP = R-CC, CR-CC, CCSD(TQ), CR-CC(Q)
 P. PIECUCH, S.A. KUCHARSKI, K. KOWALSKI, AND M. MUSIAL,
 COMP. PHYS. COMMUN. 149, 71-96 (2002);
 K. KOWALSKI AND P. PIECUCH, J. CHEM. PHYS. 113, 18-35 (2000);
 K. KOWALSKI AND P. PIECUCH, J. CHEM. PHYS. 113, 5644-5652 (2000).

 CCTYP = EOM-CCSD, CR-EOM
 P. PIECUCH, S.A. KUCHARSKI, K. KOWALSKI, AND M. MUSIAL,
 COMP. PHYS. COMMUN. 149, 71-96 (2002);
 K. KOWALSKI AND P. PIECUCH, J. CHEM. PHYS. 120, 1715-1738 (2004);
 M. WLOCH, J.R. GOUR, K. KOWALSKI, AND P. PIECUCH,
 J. CHEM. PHYS. 122, 214107-1 - 214107-15 (2005).

 CCTYP = CR-CCL
 P. PIECUCH, S.A. KUCHARSKI, K. KOWALSKI, AND M. MUSIAL,
 COMP. PHYS. COMMUN. 149, 71-96 (2002);
 P. PIECUCH AND M. WLOCH, J. CHEM. PHYS. 123,
 224105-1 - 224105-10 (2005).

 CCTYP = CR-EOML
 P. PIECUCH, S.A. KUCHARSKI, K. KOWALSKI, AND M. MUSIAL,
 COMP. PHYS. COMMUN. 149, 71-96 (2002);
 P. PIECUCH, J. R. GOUR, AND M. WLOCH,
 INT. J. QUANTUM CHEM. 109, 3268-3304 (2009);
 K. KOWALSKI AND P. PIECUCH,
 J. CHEM. PHYS. 120, 1715-1738 (2004).

 IN ADDITION, THE USE OF CCPRP=.TRUE. IN $CCINP AND/OR THE USE
 OF CCPRPE=.TRUE. IN $EOMINP SHOULD REFERENCE

 M. WLOCH, J.R. GOUR, K. KOWALSKI, AND P. PIECUCH,
 J. CHEM. PHYS. 122, 214107-1 - 214107-15 (2005).
 *****************************************************************

SCFTYP=ROHF

 ***************************************************************
 THE FOLLOWING PAPERS SHOULD BE CITED WHEN USING OPEN-SHELL CCSD
 AND/OR CR-CCL COUPLED-CLUSTER OPTIONS:
 P. PIECUCH AND M. WLOCH,
   J. CHEM. PHYS. 123, 224105/1-10 (2005).
 M. WLOCH, J.R. GOUR, AND P. PIECUCH,
   J. PHYS. CHEM. A, 111, 11359-11382 (2007).

 THE FOLLOWING PAPERS SHOULD BE CITED IF USING THE EA-EOMCC OR IP-EOMCC OPTIONS:
 J. R. GOUR, P. PIECUCH, AND M. WLOCH,
   J. CHEM. PHYS. 123, 134113/1-14 (2005).
 J. R. GOUR AND P. PIECUCH,
   J. CHEM. PHYS. 125, 234107/1-17 (2006).
 ***************************************************************


The final input example describes the 2nd order MC-QDPT calculation (using the multi-configurational quasi-degenerate or multi-reference second-order perturbation theory). This job finds the Full Optimized Reaction Space or CASSCF wavefunction for water and then performs the 2nd order MC-QDPT calculation of the energy. The initial molecular orbitals (in the $VEC group) were obtained in a separate RHF calculation (they can always be found in the .dat short output file; in this case, in the .dat file produced by the RHF calculation).

 $CONTRL SCFTYP=MCSCF MPLEVL=2 $END <---- job control parameters (theory level)
 $SYSTEM TIMLIM=8 MEMORY=300000 $END <---- job control parameters
 $GUESS  GUESS=MOREAD  NORB=13 $END <---- job control parameters (initial guess for MOs)
 $DET    NCORE=1 NACT=6 NELS=8 $END <---- job control parameters (1 core orbital doubly occupied in all reference determinants; 6 active orbitals; 8 active electrons) 
 $MCQDPT NSTATE=1 ISTSYM=1 REFWGT=.TRUE. $END<---- job control parameters (NSTATE=1, one state to be determined; ISTSYM=1 means state of the A1 symmetry) 
 $BASIS  GBASIS=N21 NGAUSS=3 $END<---- job control parameters (basis set)
 $DATA <---- beginning of the $DATA group, where the geometry is described
 WATER...3-21G BASIS...FORS-MCSCF...EXPERIMENTAL GEOMETRY <---- your comment (ignored by GAMESS) 
 Cnv 2 <---- molecular point group
blank line 
 Oxygen     8.0   0.0   0.0         0.0 <---- Cartesian coordinates of the O nucleus
 Hydrogen   1.0   0.0   0.7572157   0.5865358
 $END <---- end of the $DATA group
 $VEC <----initial molecular orbitals (obtained in the RHF calculation) 
 1  1 0.98323195E+00 0.95883436E-01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.35370268E-02
 1  2-0.38015713E-01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00-0.67933232E-02 0.26157699E-02
 1  3 0.69075022E-02 0.26157699E-02 0.69075022E-02
 2  1-0.22915183E+00 0.21751680E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.83482416E-01
 2  2 0.70627255E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.93448600E-01 0.11715069E+00
 2  3 0.19083329E-01 0.11715069E+00 0.19083329E-01
 3  1 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.39852684E+00 0.00000000E+00
 3  2 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.36975524E+00 0.00000000E+00-0.23386378E+00
 3  3-0.18332401E+00 0.23386378E+00 0.18332401E+00
 4  1-0.88424758E-01 0.82203534E-01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00-0.44197156E+00
 4  2 0.40499817E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00-0.50792220E+00-0.13089427E+00
 4  3-0.10523065E+00-0.13089427E+00-0.10523065E+00
 5  1 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.52129122E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00
 5  2 0.00000000E+00 0.63210541E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00
 5  3 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00
 6  1-0.10921346E+00 0.34847757E-01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.20920102E+00
 6  2 0.10449784E+01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.46616469E+00-0.46425782E-01
 6  3-0.86310980E+00-0.46425782E-01-0.86310980E+00
 7  1 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.30311516E+00 0.00000000E+00
 7  2 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.77474462E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.36159920E-01
 7  3 0.11766731E+01-0.36159920E-01-0.11766731E+01
 8  1 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.18247792E+00 0.00000000E+00
 8  2 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.45271854E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.96497497E+00
 8  3-0.68407554E+00-0.96497497E+00 0.68407554E+00
 9  1-0.68462918E-01 0.98778424E-01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.27668306E+00
 9  2 0.11645921E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.30171282E+00-0.98500862E+00
 9  3 0.48555609E+00-0.98500862E+00 0.48555609E+00
10  1 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.10292728E+01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00
10  2 0.00000000E+00-0.96518900E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00
10  3 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00
11  1-0.45193228E-01 0.13566837E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00-0.10100340E+01
11  2 0.17234151E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.11527420E+01-0.26046385E+00
11  3-0.92175886E-01-0.26046385E+00-0.92175886E-01
12  1 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00-0.10670424E+01 0.00000000E+00
12  2 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.13962359E+01 0.00000000E+00 0.13746917E+00
12  3 0.50761817E+00-0.13746917E+00-0.50761817E+00
13  1-0.84642669E-01 0.16413752E+01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00 0.16053837E+00
13  2-0.19938626E+01 0.00000000E+00 0.00000000E+00-0.49752222E+00 0.28728587E+00
13  3 0.35961579E+00 0.28728587E+00 0.35961579E+00
 $END

GAMESS manual

A complete manual for Gamess is available from the web. Please click here for further details.

Running GAMESS jobs (on hbar)

After creating your input file with an editor (e.g. vi), save it under some name with extension of .inp (e.g. gamess_file.inp ) and submit it to the queue. Command to send your GAMESS job to the cem888 queue is:
gmssub   -q   cem888   gamess_file

Note: in the above line, your input file is assumed to be named gamess_file.inp.
The output file will be called gamess_file.log
You will also see the extra file gamess_file.dat, which contains, in particular, molecular orbitals for various restart calculations. The coupled-cluster calculations will produce the gamess_file.restart file with the information needed to restart the coupled-cluster calculations, if you are interested in using the results of the earlier coupled-cluster calculations as an initial guess for some new coupled-cluster calculations (you can erase these files if you are not interested in using them). In the above examples, the basis set was defined via the $BASIS group. Another possibility is to incorporate the basis set in the $DATA group or to create the external file with the basis sets. In the latter case, you should use the EXTFIL=.TRUE. option in $BASIS and -b flag in gmssub. For more information about EXTFIL, see the GAMESS web site.

Checking the status of your job

You can use the command qstat -a to see the status of your and all other jobs. If you see a line with your name in it and some other job information, your job is in the queue (if the job status is R, the job is running).

To learn more about the NQS queue system running in the department, go here.