  Reduced density-matrix functional theory (RDMFT) is a promising alternative
approach to the problem of electron correlation. Like standard density
functional theory, it contains an unknown exchange-correlation functional, for
which several approximations have been proposed in the last years. In this
article, we benchmark some of these functionals in an extended set of molecules
with respect to total and atomization energies. Our results show that the most
recent RDMFT functionals give very satisfactory results compared to more
involved quantum chemistry and density functional approaches.
