A Gentle Introduction to Quantum Field Theory

Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-1-009-70451-9
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 435 Seiten

This textbook is a digestible yet authoritative introduction to the foundations of quantum field theory, making use of explicit notation and step-by-step reasoning. While many QFT texts serve as a reference for practitioners, a compendium of applications, and a review of recent research, this textbook focuses solely on introducing the subject. The tools necessary to canonically quantize scalar and electromagnetic fields are built from the ground up, going all the way to the renormalization group. This textbook tackles fundamental topics that are frequently passed over, such as the interpretation of a quantum field, the cluster decomposition principle, and spontaneous symmetry breaking at the quantum level. More than a hundred problems are included, with selected solutions being made available to instructors. Written primarily for beginning graduate students taking their first course in QFT, this standalone textbook features detailed mathematical derivations and conceptual justifications.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Gezerlis, Alex

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface; Part I. Preliminaries: 1. Relativistic Notation; 2. Single-Particle Quantum Mechanics; 3. Classical Mechanics; Problems for Part I; Part II. Classical Scalar Field Theory: 4. Lagrangian Field Theory; 5. Symmetry; 6. Hamiltonian Formalism; 7. Field-Equation Solution; Problems for Part II; Part III. Quantization of Non-Interacting Scalar Fields: 8. Harmonic Oscillators; 9. Changing Pictures; 10. Canonical Quantization; 11. Transformation Properties; 12. Causality and Propagators; 13. Interacting Theory: First Attempt; Problems for Part III; Part IV. Electromagnetic Field: 14. Classical Electromagnetism; 15. Gauge Invariance; 16. Quantizing Electrodynamics; Problems for Part IV; Part V. Quantization of Interacting Fields: 17. Interaction Picture; 18. Interacting Theory: Second Attempt; 19. How to be Weak; 20. Scattering Preliminaries; 21. Old-Fashioned Scattering; 22. Lorentz Invariance; 23. Cluster Decomposition; 24. Wick's Theorem; 25. 1-1 Process; 26. Feynman Diagrams; 27. Vacuum-Vacuum Diagrams; 28. Momentum Space; 29. 2-2 Process; 30. Mass Renormalization; 31. Coupling Renormalization; 32. Renormalization Redux; 33. Renormalization Group; 34. Hidden Symmetry; Project: Scalar Electrodynamics; Problems for Part V; Appendix: Group Theory; References; Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Gezerlis, Alex
Alex Gezerlis is Professor of Physics at the University of Guelph. Before moving to Canada, he worked in Germany, the United States, and Greece. He has received several research awards, grants, and allocations on supercomputing facilities. His research interests range from nuclear forces, structure, and astrophysics, to ultracold atoms. He has taught courses on quantum field theory, computational methods, subatomic physics, and science communication. He is also the author of Numerical Methods in Physics with Python, 2nd edition (Cambridge University Press, 2023).