Gaussian /ˈɡaʊsiən/ is a general purpose computational chemistry software package initially released in 1970 by John Pople[1][2] and his research group at Carnegie Mellon University as Gaussian 70.
[4] The name originates from Pople's use of Gaussian orbitals to speed up molecular electronic structure calculations as opposed to using Slater-type orbitals, a choice made to improve performance on the limited computing capacities of then-current computer hardware for Hartree–Fock calculations.
The anonymous group bannedbygaussian.org[11] has published a list of scientists whom it claims are not permitted to use GAUSSIAN software.
[12] The controversy was also noted in 1999 by Chemical and Engineering News[13][14] (repeated without additional content in 2004), and in 2000, the World Association of Theoretically Oriented Chemists Scientific Board held a referendum of its executive board members on this issue with a majority (23 of 28) approving the resolution opposing the restrictive licenses.
[15] Gaussian, Inc. disputes the accuracy of these descriptions of its policy and actions,[16] noting that all of the listed institutions do in fact have licenses for everyone but directly competing researchers.