The Conceptual Framework Of Quantum Field Theory

Download or read book The Conceptual Framework of Quantum Field Theory written by Anthony Duncan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-08-09 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book attempts to provide an introduction to quantum field theory emphasizing conceptual issues frequently neglected in more "utilitarian" treatments of the subject. The book is divided into four parts, entitled respectively "Origins", "Dynamics", "Symmetries", and "Scales". The emphasis is conceptual - the aim is to build the theory up systematically from some clearly stated foundational concepts - and therefore to a large extent anti-historical, but two historical Chapters ("Origins") are included to situate quantum field theory in the larger context of modern physical theories. The three remaining sections of the book follow a step by step reconstruction of this framework beginning with just a few basic assumptions: relativistic invariance, the basic principles of quantum mechanics, and the prohibition of physical action at a distance embodied in the clustering principle. The "Dynamics" section of the book lays out the basic structure of quantum field theory arising from the sequential insertion of quantum-mechanical, relativistic and locality constraints. The central role of symmetries in relativistic quantum field theories is explored in the third section of the book, while in the final section, entitled "Scales", we explore in detail the feature of quantum field theories most critical for their enormous phenomenological success - the scale separation property embodied by the renormalization group properties of a theory defined by an effective local Lagrangian.

Download or read book Quantum Field Theory and Gravity written by Felix Finster and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-02-08 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most challenging problems of contemporary theoretical physics is the mathematically rigorous construction of a theory which describes gravitation and the other fundamental physical interactions within a common framework. The physical ideas which grew from attempts to develop such a theory require highly advanced mathematical methods and radically new physical concepts. This book presents different approaches to a rigorous unified description of quantum fields and gravity. It contains a carefully selected cross-section of lively discussions which took place in autumn 2010 at the fifth conference "Quantum field theory and gravity - Conceptual and mathematical advances in the search for a unified framework" in Regensburg, Germany. In the tradition of the other proceedings covering this series of conferences, a special feature of this book is the exposition of a wide variety of approaches, with the intention to facilitate a comparison. The book is mainly addressed to mathematicians and physicists who are interested in fundamental questions of mathematical physics. It allows the reader to obtain a broad and up-to-date overview of a fascinating active research area.

Download or read book The Conceptual Framework of Quantum Field Theory written by Anthony Duncan and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2012-08-09 with total page 793 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book provides a step by step construction of the framework of relativistic quantum field theory, starting from a minimal set of basic foundational postulates. The emphasis is on a careful and detailed description of the conceptual subtleties of modern field theory, many of which are glossed over in other texts.

Download or read book Modern Quantum Field Theory written by Tom Banks and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2008-09-18 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presenting a variety of topics that are only briefly touched on in other texts, this book provides a thorough introduction to the techniques of field theory. Covering Feynman diagrams and path integrals, the author emphasizes the path integral approach, the Wilsonian approach to renormalization, and the physics of non-abelian gauge theory. It provides a thorough treatment of quark confinement and chiral symmetry breaking, topics not usually covered in other texts at this level. The Standard Model of particle physics is discussed in detail. Connections with condensed matter physics are explored, and there is a brief, but detailed, treatment of non-perturbative semi-classical methods. Ideal for graduate students in high energy physics and condensed matter physics, the book contains many problems,which help students practise the key techniques of quantum field theory.

Download or read book Quantum Field Theory written by Eduardo Fradkin and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-03-23 with total page 760 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The only graduate-level textbook on quantum field theory that fully integrates perspectives from high-energy, condensed-matter, and statistical physics Quantum field theory was originally developed to describe quantum electrodynamics and other fundamental problems in high-energy physics, but today has become an invaluable conceptual and mathematical framework for addressing problems across physics, including in condensed-matter and statistical physics. With this expansion of applications has come a new and deeper understanding of quantum field theory—yet this perspective is still rarely reflected in teaching and textbooks on the subject. Developed from a year-long graduate course Eduardo Fradkin has taught for years to students of high-energy, condensed-matter, and statistical physics, this comprehensive textbook provides a fully "multicultural" approach to quantum field theory, covering the full breadth of its applications in one volume. Brings together perspectives from high-energy, condensed-matter, and statistical physics in both the main text and exercises Takes students from basic techniques to the frontiers of physics Pays special attention to the relation between measurements and propagators and the computation of cross sections and response functions Focuses on renormalization and the renormalization group, with an emphasis on fixed points, scale invariance, and their role in quantum field theory and phase transitions Other topics include non-perturbative phenomena, anomalies, and conformal invariance Features numerous examples and extensive problem sets Also serves as an invaluable resource for researchers

Download or read book What Is a Quantum Field Theory? written by Michel Talagrand and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-03-17 with total page 760 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quantum field theory (QFT) is one of the great achievements of physics, of profound interest to mathematicians. Most pedagogical texts on QFT are geared toward budding professional physicists, however, whereas mathematical accounts are abstract and difficult to relate to the physics. This book bridges the gap. While the treatment is rigorous whenever possible, the accent is not on formality but on explaining what the physicists do and why, using precise mathematical language. In particular, it covers in detail the mysterious procedure of renormalization. Written for readers with a mathematical background but no previous knowledge of physics and largely self-contained, it presents both basic physical ideas from special relativity and quantum mechanics and advanced mathematical concepts in complete detail. It will be of interest to mathematicians wanting to learn about QFT and, with nearly 300 exercises, also to physics students seeking greater rigor than they typically find in their courses. Erratum for the book can be found at michel.talagrand.net/erratum.pdf.

Download or read book Quantum Field Theory written by Mark Srednicki and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2007-01-25 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quantum field theory is the basic mathematical framework that is used to describe elementary particles. This textbook provides a complete and essential introduction to the subject. Assuming only an undergraduate knowledge of quantum mechanics and special relativity, this book is ideal for graduate students beginning the study of elementary particles. The step-by-step presentation begins with basic concepts illustrated by simple examples, and proceeds through historically important results to thorough treatments of modern topics such as the renormalization group, spinor-helicity methods for quark and gluon scattering, magnetic monopoles, instantons, supersymmetry, and the unification of forces. The book is written in a modular format, with each chapter as self-contained as possible, and with the necessary prerequisite material clearly identified. It is based on a year-long course given by the author and contains extensive problems, with password protected solutions available to lecturers at www.cambridge.org/9780521864497.