@article {56717102, title = {Generalized Gaussian wave packet dynamics, Schro{\textasciidieresis}dinger equation, and stationary phase approximation}, journal = {J. Chem. Phys.}, volume = {89}, year = {1988}, pages = {2003}, abstract = {We have recently published a new semiclassical method, generalized Gaussian wave packet dynamics, which extends Gaussian wave packet dynamics into complex phase space. Although we were able to give an accurate formulation of the method, we had at the time of writing that paper only an intuitive, heuristic understanding of the deeper causes which make the method work. A more mathematical understanding was needed. To close this gap we show in this paper the equivalence of the new method with a first order expansion of ℏ of the Schr{\"o}dinger equation. We further prove that the new method is equivalent to the stationary phase approximation, using the usual WKB formula for the propagator. The latter equivalence enables us to show that all the symmetry properties of time-dependent quantum mechanics also hold in the new semiclassical theory. Finally, we provide some elaboration of the method, and clarify several issues that were not discussed before. With this new insight we are able to formulate a simple rule for the calculation of semiclassical wave functions that contain contributions from more than one branch. This corrects for the divergence of semiclassical wave functions near caustics, a problem that we encountered in the preceding paper.}, doi = {10.1063/1.455714}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.455714}, author = {Daniel Huber and Heller, EricJ. and Robert G. Littlejohn} }