The Density Functional Based Tight Binding method is an approximation to density functional theory, which reduces the Kohn-Sham equations to a form of tight binding related to the Harris functional. The original approximation limits interactions to a non-self-consistent two center hamiltonian between confined atomic states. In the late 1990s a second-order expansion of the Kohn-Sham energy enabled a charge self-consistent treatment of systems where Mulliken charges of the atoms are solved self-consistently. This expansion has been continued to the 3rd order in charge fluctuations and with respect to spin fluctuations.