{
  "abstract": "Electronegativity remains conceptually ambiguous: is it a fixed atomic constant, or does it depend on the chemical environment? We resolve this debate by recasting electronegativity as a continuous response function rooted in the Atomic Mean Inner Potential (AMIP). Building on the established static scale \\(χ_{\\mathrm{AMIP},1/2}\\), we expand the electronegativity in fractional positive charge \\(δ\\). The first-order term defines the Electrostatic Rigidity \\(\\mathcal{R}\\), whose sign indicates whether an atom hardens or softens upon oxidation, and the second-order term defines the Electrostatic Anharmonic Modulus \\(\\mathcal{A}\\). A logarithmic-derivative decomposition separates \\(\\mathcal{R}\\) into an intrinsic, scale-independent response asymmetry \\(\\mathcal{D} \\equiv \\mathcal{R}_Ω/Ω_0 - \\mathcal{R}_f/f_0\\), which governs the competition between electronic screening loss (softening) and geometric volume collapse (hardening). Applying this to all 102 elements reveals a systematic dichotomy between softening main-group elements and hardening d-block elements, two scaling laws within the transition series, and two anomalies at half-filled d\\(^5\\) configurations and in Ce. The framework resolves the Cs--Fr controversy through relativistic analysis, reproduces classical electronegativity scales and Lewis acidity trends, and provides three falsifiable experimental predictions. It transforms electronegativity into a predictive, hierarchically structured quantum descriptor.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.29765",
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Jin-Cheng Zheng"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f0snavrmgyg1t.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.29765",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "f0snavrmgyg1t",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.29765",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mtrl-sci"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.atom-ph"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "physics.chem-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3107|Advanced Chemical Physics Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223218937",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.29765",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f0snavrmgyg1t.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:35:35Z",
      "native_id": "2610.29765",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.29765"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.chem-ph",
      "subfield": "physical"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:physics.atom-ph",
      "subfield": "amo"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.mtrl-sci",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Hierarchical Response Theory of Electronegativity from Atomic Mean Inner Potential",
  "title_text": "Hierarchical Response Theory of Electronegativity from Atomic Mean Inner Potential",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:35:35Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f0snavrmgyg1t",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}