Electronic structure calculations have been performed to explain the differ
ence in the electronic properties of two crystallographic forms of BaRuO3.
The calculations can explain the qualitatively different resistivities of i
soelectronic 4H- and 9R-BaRuO3 below 100 K. The difference in symmetry betw
een the hexagonal four-layer BaRuO3 and the rhombohedral nine-layer compoun
d allows the formation of a gap for the later. The electronic structure of
these hexagonal perovskites is compared with the more familiar cubic perovs
kite CaRuO3.