ELECTRONEGATIVITY - CHEMICAL HARDNESS .1.

It has been suggested that the absolute hardness of density functional theory be identified with the chemical hardness of Pearson's principl e of hard and soft acids and bases. It is unclear whether these two ha rdnesses are actually equivalent and if no; how they are related. The problems arising from the identification uf chemical hardness with abs olute hardness are examined, as well as the problems associated with t he evaluation of absolute hardnesses, The nature of absolute hardness is explored in some derail which has given rise to an interpretation w hich is in conflict with the commonly accepted interpretations of chem ical hardness.