An approximate solution scheme, similar to the Gutzwiller approximation, is presented for the Baeriswyl and the Baeriswyl-Gutzwiller variational wave functions. The phase diagram of the one-dimensional Hubbard model as a function of interaction strength and particle density is determined. For the Baeriswyl wave function a metal-insulator transition is found at half filling, where the metallic phase
(U<Uc) corresponds to the Hartree-Fock solution, the insulating phase is one with finite double occupations arising from bound excitons. This transition can be viewed as the ``inverse'' of the Brinkman-Rice transition. Close to but away from half filling, the
U>Uc phase displays a finite Fermi step, as well as double occupations originating from bound excitons. As the filling is changed away from half-filling bound excitons are suppressed. For the Baeriswyl-Gutzwiller wave function at half filling a metal-insulator transition between the correlated metallic and excitonic insulating state is found. Away from half-filling bound excitons are suppressed quicker than for the Baeriswyl wave function.
Antiferromagnetic and metal to insulator transitions in the ground state of two-dimensional half-filled and nearly half-filled Hubbard models with the nearest neighbor and the second nearest neighbor transfers (- t and t ′ , respectively) are studied by using the Green's function approach with the self-energy up to the second order in the coupling constant U . For a choice of the parameter value t ′ / t =0.2 the half-filled model undergoes the first order phase transition between paramagnetic metallic (PM) phase and antiferromagnetic insulator (AFI) phase at U / t =4.0 while the first order transition between PM and antiferromagnetic metallic (AFM) phases takes place for nearly half-filled band. The one-electron spectral density is calculated for the PM, AFM, and AFI phases near the phase boundaries. In the PM phase the quasi-particle dispersion indicates the band narrowing from the Hartree-Fock results and the flat band behavior as was indicated by previous stadies and was observed in high- T c cuprates. The quasi-particle dispersion in the AFM phase is seen to be close to the Hartree-Fock results.