On the electronegativity nonlocality paradox

The electronegativity equalization principle states that, in its ground state, the electronegativity of every component in a system is the same. A paradox then arises: molecular fragments that are very far apart must still have the same electronegativity, which seems to contradict the common assumption that spatially separated molecular species can be described independently. Density-functional theory provides the tools needed to analyze this …