Present status of the theory of high Tc cuprates

Abstract

The Gutzwiller-projected mean field theory, also called Plain Vanilla or RMFT, is explained and its successes and possible extensions in describing the phenomenology of the cuprate superconductors are discussed. Throughout we emphasize that while this is a Hartree-Fock-BCS based theory, it embodies fundamental differences from conventional perturbative many-body theory which may be characterized by calling it a theory of the doped Mott insulator.