A Primer on Atomic Theory Calculations (for X-Ray Astrophysicists) Francis Robicheaux Auburn University 206 Allison Lab Auburn, AL 36849 I will give an overview of different types of atomic calculations with an emphasis on how the methods work. The focus will be on the methods that are mostly used to generate data for plasma physics. The topics might include atomic structure, photo-ionization/auto-ionization, electron scattering, and heavy particle scattering. The methods might include classical trajectory Monte Carlo, perturbation theory, and configuration interaction/close coupling. I will describe how the different methods work and describe the strengths and limitations of the different methods.