In memoriam: Peter Politzer: A life to be truly celebrated.

Peter Politzer (1937–2022) grew up with no doubt in his mind that he would pursue a career in chemistry. His research interests ranged from theoretical concepts such as electronegativity and chemical hardness to applications of electrostatic potentials and average local ionization energies to molecular interactive behavior and bonding, as well as to the study of chemical reactions and the reaction force in a variety of disciplines, including energetic materials. He will be remembered as a world-renowned leader in halogen bonding and other σ-hole bonding interactions and other areas of theoretical and computational chemistry, with over 520 research publications in scientific journals and books, leaving quite a legacy, with a marked tendency toward simplicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]