  A linear scaling method for calculation of the static {\em ab inito} response
within self-consistent field theory is developed and applied to calculation of
the static electric polarizability. The method is based on density matrix
perturbation theory [Niklasson and Challacombe, cond-mat/0311591], obtaining
response functions directly via a perturbative approach to spectral projection.
The accuracy and efficiency of the linear scaling method is demonstrated for a
series of three-dimensional water clusters at the RHF/6-31G** level of theory.
Locality of the response under a global electric field perturbation is
numerically demonstrated by approximate exponential decay of derivative density
matrix elements.
