The Conceptual Framework of Quantum Field Theory
The Conceptual Framework of Quantum Field Theory

Author: Anthony Duncan

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2012-08-09

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 0191642207

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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.

The Conceptual Basis of Quantum Field Theory
The Conceptual Basis of Quantum Field Theory

Author: Gerard't Hooft

Publisher:

Published: 2014-10-03

Total Pages: 70

ISBN-13: 9781502591852

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Relativistic Quantum Field Theory is a mathematical scheme to describethe sub-atomic particles and forces. The basic starting point is that the axiomsof Special Relativity on the one hand and those of Quantum Mechanics on theother, should be combined into one theory. The fundamental ingredients forthis construction are reviewed. A remarkable feature is that the constructionis not perfect; it will not allow us to compute all amplitudes with unlimitedprecision. Yet in practice this theory is more than accurate enough to coverthe entire domain between the atomic scale and the Planck scale, some 20orders of magnitude

Quantum Field Theory and Gravity
Quantum Field Theory and Gravity

Author: Felix Finster

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-02-08

Total Pages: 389

ISBN-13: 3034800436

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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.

The Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
The Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Author: Belal E. Baaquie

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-01-26

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 146146224X

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The Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics addresses fundamental issues that are not discussed in most books on quantum mechanics. This book focuses on analyzing the underlying principles of quantum mechanics and explaining the conceptual and theoretical underpinning of quantum mechanics. In particular, the concepts of quantum indeterminacy, quantum measurement and quantum superposition are analyzed to clarify the concepts that are implicit in the formulation of quantum mechanics. The Schrodinger equation is never solved in the book. Rather, the discussion on the fundamentals of quantum mechanics is treated in a rigorous manner based on the mathematics of quantum mechanics. The new concept of the interplay of empirical and trans-empirical constructs in quantum mechanics is introduced to clarify the foundations of quantum mechanics and to explain the counter-intuitive construction of nature in quantum mechanics. The Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics is aimed at the advanced undergraduate and assumes introductory knowledge of quantum mechanics. Its objective is to provide a solid foundation for the reader to reach a deeper understanding of the principles of quantum mechanics.

Quantum Field Theory
Quantum Field Theory

Author: Mark Srednicki

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2007-01-25

Total Pages: 664

ISBN-13: 1139462768

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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.

Particles And Quantum Fields
Particles And Quantum Fields

Author: Hagen Kleinert

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2016-05-30

Total Pages: 1628

ISBN-13: 9814740926

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This is an introductory book on elementary particles and their interactions. It starts out with many-body Schrödinger theory and second quantization and leads, via its generalization, to relativistic fields of various spins and to gravity. The text begins with the best known quantum field theory so far, the quantum electrodynamics of photon and electrons (QED). It continues by developing the theory of strong interactions between the elementary constituents of matter (quarks). This is possible due to the property called asymptotic freedom. On the way one has to tackle the problem of removing various infinities by renormalization. The divergent sums of infinitely many diagrams are performed with the renormalization group or by variational perturbation theory (VPT). The latter is an outcome of the Feynman-Kleinert variational approach to path integrals discussed in two earlier books of the author, one representing a comprehensive treatise on path integrals, the other dealing with critial phenomena. Unlike ordinary perturbation theory, VPT produces uniformly convergent series which are valid from weak to strong couplings, where they describe critical phenomena.The present book develops the theory of effective actions which allow to treat quantum phenomena with classical formalism. For example, it derives the observed anomalous power laws of strongly interacting theories from an extremum of the action. Their fluctuations are not based on Gaussian distributions, as in the perturbative treatment of quantum field theories, or in asymptotically-free theories, but on deviations from the average which are much larger and which obey power-like distributions.Exactly solvable models are discussed and their physical properties are compared with those derived from general methods. In the last chapter we discuss the problem of quantizing the classical theory of gravity.

An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory
An Introduction To Quantum Field Theory

Author: Michael E. Peskin

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2018-05-04

Total Pages: 866

ISBN-13: 0429983182

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An Introduction to Quantum Field Theory is a textbook intended for the graduate physics course covering relativistic quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, and Feynman diagrams. The authors make these subjects accessible through carefully worked examples illustrating the technical aspects of the subject, and intuitive explanations of what is going on behind the mathematics. After presenting the basics of quantum electrodynamics, the authors discuss the theory of renormalization and its relation to statistical mechanics, and introduce the renormalization group. This discussion sets the stage for a discussion of the physical principles that underlie the fundamental interactions of elementary particle physics and their description by gauge field theories.

A Prelude to Quantum Field Theory
A Prelude to Quantum Field Theory

Author: John Donoghue

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2022-03-08

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 0691223483

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"A Prelude to Quantum Field Theory offers a short introduction to quantum field theory (QFT), a powerful framework for understanding particle behavior that is an essential tool across many subfields of physics. A subject that is typically taught at the graduate level in most physics departments, quantum field theory is a unification of standard quantum theories and special relativity, which depicts all particles as "excitations" that arise in underlying fields. It extends quantum mechanics, the modern theory of one or few particles, in a way that is useful for the analysis of many-particle systems in the real world. As it requires a different style of thinking from quantum mechanics, which is typically the undergraduate physics student's first encounter with the quantum world, many beginners struggle with the transition to quantum field theory, especially when working with traditional textbooks. Existing books on the subject often tend to be large, sophisticated, and complete; and an overwhelming wealth of information and technical detail makes it difficult for the novice to discern what is most important. This book is a concise, friendly entrée for QFT-beginners, guiding the reader from the style of quantum mechanical thinking to that of QFT, and distilling the key ideas without a welter of unnecessary detail. In contrast with standard texts, which are predominantly particle physics-centric, this book is designed to be "subfield-neutral" - usable by students of any background and interest, and easily adaptable in a course setting according to instructors' preferences. The authors' conviction is that QFT is a core element of physics that should be understood by all PhD physicists-but that developing an appreciation for it does not require digesting a large, encyclopedic volume"--

Quantum Field Theory, as Simply as Possible
Quantum Field Theory, as Simply as Possible

Author: Anthony Zee

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2025-02-18

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 0691270457

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An exceptionally accessible introduction to quantum field theory Quantum field theory is by far the most spectacularly successful theory in physics, but also one of the most mystifying. This venerable subject provides the crucial bridge between the long established quantum mechanics and the still hypothetical string theory. Quantum Field Theory, as Simply as Possible provides an essential primer on the subject, giving readers the conceptual foundations they need to wrap their heads around one of the most important yet baffling subjects in physics. Quantum field theory grew out of quantum mechanics in the late 1930s and was developed by a generation of brilliant young theorists, including Julian Schwinger and Richard Feynman. Their predictions were experimentally verified to an astounding accuracy unmatched by the rest of physics. Quantum field theory unifies quantum mechanics and special relativity, thus providing the framework for understanding the quantum mysteries of the subatomic world. With his trademark blend of wit and physical insight, A. Zee guides readers from the classical notion of the field to the modern frontiers of quantum field theory, covering a host of topics along the way, including antimatter, Feynman diagrams, virtual particles, the path integral, quantum chromodynamics, electroweak unification, grand unification, and quantum gravity. A unique and valuable introduction for students and general readers alike, Quantum Field Theory, as Simply as Possible explains how quantum field theory informs our understanding of the universe, and how it can shed light on some of the deepest mysteries of physics.