Abstract
The exact solution for the thermodynamic and dynamie properties of the infinite-dimensional multicomponent Falicov-Kimball model for arbitrary concentrations of d and f electrons is presented. The emphasis is on a descriptive derivation of important physical quantities by the equation-of-motion technique. We provide a thorough discussion of the f-electron Green's function and of the susceptibility to spontaneous hybridization. The solutions are used to illustrate different physical systems ranging from the high-temperature phase of the YbInCu4 family of materials to an examination of classical intermediate-valence systems that can develop a spontaneous hybridization at T = 0.