Variational methods with coupled Gaussian functions for Bose-Einstein condensates with long-range interactions. I. General concept

The variational method of coupled Gaussian functions is applied to Bose-Einstein condensates with long-range interactions. The time dependence of the condensate is described by dynamical equations for the variational parameters. We present the method and analytically derive the dynamical equations from the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation. The stability of the solutions is investigated using methods of nonlinear dynamics. The concept presented in this article will be applied to Bose-Einstein condensates with monopolar $1/r$ and dipolar $1/r^3$ interaction in the subsequent article [S. Rau et al., Phys. Rev. A 82, 023611 (2010)], where we will present a wealth of phenomena obtained using the ansatz with coupled Gaussian functions.