The applicability of the information-theoretic maximum-entropy method to the electronic density of states (DOS) in random binary alloys is investigated via explicit calculations for the single-band random alloy on a square lattice. The best results are achieved by the application of the method to an intermediate spectral function related to the self-energy, rather than to the DOS itself. Through comparison with exact results and coherent-potential-approximation results for finite 42×116 lattices, it is shown that the maximum-entropy method provides a useful alternative to existing methods for studying random alloys.

• Received 26 February 1986

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.34.3567