  A novel integral equations approach is applied for studying ion pairing in
the restricted primitive model (RPM) electrolyte, i. e., the three point
extension (TPE) to the Ornstein-Zernike integral equations. In the TPE
approach, the three-particle correlation functions $g^{[3]}({\bf r}_{1},{\bf
r}_{2},{\bf r}_{3})$ are obtained. The TPE results are compared to molecular
dynamics (MD) simulations and other theories. Good agreement between TPE and MD
is observed for a wide range of parameters, particularly where standard
integral equations theories fail, i. e., low salt concentration and high ionic
valence. Our results support the formation of ion pairs and aligned ion
complexes.
