  By combining the Self-Interaction Correction (SIC) with pseudopotential
perturbation theory, the role of self-interaction errors inherent to the Local
Density Approximation (LDA) to Density Functional Theory is estimated in the
determination of ground state and low energy isomeric structures of small
metallic clusters. Its application to neutral sodium clusters with 8 and 20
atoms shows that the SIC provides sizeable effects in Na_8, leading to a
different ordering of the low lying isomeric states compared with ab-initio LDA
predictions, whereas for Na_20, the SIC effects are less pronounced, such that
a quantitative agreement is achieved between the present method and ab-initio
LDA calculations.
