 Hückel square-to-trapezium distortion

For a four-site cycle with site energy $\alpha$, three resonance integrals $\beta <0$ and one weakened integral $n\beta$, $0<n<1$, put $D=\sqrt{(n-1{)}^2+4}$. In the independent-electron Hückel method, filling the two or four lowest spin orbitals gives total electronic energies $E_2=2\alpha +\beta (n+1+D)$ and $E_4=4\alpha +2\beta D$. At the square limit $n=1$, these become $2\alpha +4\beta$ and $4\alpha +4\beta$. The weakened-edge distortion raises the two-electron sum but lowers the four-electron sum. Near $n=1$ the latter change is $\beta (1-n{)}^2/2+O((1-n{)}^4)$, so its first-order term cancels. This electronic comparison omits structural repulsion and other restoring forces, and does not determine the open-shell spin at the square limit.