Product Description
In the period between the birth of quantum mechanics in the 1920s and the late 1960s, V.A. Fock wrote papers that are now deemed classics in the field. This collection explores such fundamental notions of theoretical quantum physics as the Hartree-Fock method, Fock space, Fock symmetry of the hydrogen atom, and the Fock functional method. Fock was a key contributor to one of the most exciting periods of development in 20th-century physics, and this book conveys the essence of that time. These seminal works are a helpful reference for any undergraduate, graduate, or researcher in theoretical and mathematical physics, especially those specializing in quantum mechanics and quantum field theory. ... Read more

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This comprehensive and progressive new text presents a variety of topics that are only briefly touched on in other books; this text provides a thorough introduction to the techniques of quantum field theory, which is the theoretical framework for constructing quantum mechanical models of field-like systems or, equivalently, of many-body systems. Covering topics such as 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. Banks provides a thorough treatment of groundbreaking topics such as quark confinement and chiral symmetry breaking, topics not typically covered in other introductory texts. The Standard Model of particle physics is also 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 practice the key techniques of quantum field theory. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Very recommendable for advanced students
This is a well written book on Classical Field Theory. Not for undergraduates, because a good knowledge on tensor calculus is required for being read without any difficulties. The subjects are given compactly, with the minimum and necessary formulations. Along the whole book the author gives the adequate physical view on the subjects, which is always very much appreciated. ... Read more

Product Description
"A classic text on field theoretic methods in statistical physics"—American Scientist. A comprehensive introduction to the many-body theory and its ramifications by three internationally known Russian physicists, directed to physicists, mathematicians, and others involved in statistical and solid state physics.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Seminal, essential,
AGD, as it were, is an essential text for those studying or practicing "methods of QFT in statistical physics". this landmark publication has educated generations of physicists, and can continue to do so due to it's bargain price.
The book does suffer from "Russian style". It is terse. Read slowly and often.
If you're considering buying the book, either do so, or change fields. If you can not or will not invest ten dollars in this book then you are wasting your time anyhow.

Very good book
This book is one of the most known treating about QFT in non-zero temperatures and it doesn't need an advertisement. One think that redactors should think about is size of the fonts. Letters are really to small...

I Believe It's Pronounced: "Ah-brick-oh-sov, Gore-cawV, and Dee-ah-low-shin-ski"
This is a serious book with a seriously long title and three seriously hard-to-pronounce author-names.

Of course, as the other reviewers have already stated, this book is a Classic. It is also, as one other reviewer has proclaimed, not a book from which I would like to learn quantum field theory.

"Methods of Quantum Field Theory in Statistical Physics" by A.A. Abrikosov, L. P. gorkox, and I.E. Dzyaloshinski (or "AGD" as it is known) is thought of by many as the be all and end all of field theory texts in the condensed matter physics world.

But, AGD should not be thought of as a book that introduces the reader to field theory. You definitely must have studied field theory (either relativistic or non-relativistic) from an introductory book that uses the canonical formalism before attempting to get anything out of AGD.


For example, if you are not already familiar with Wick's Theorem and how to prove it, then you will get very little out of AGD's single paragraph of text which "proves" the thoerem. On the other hand, if you already know of Wick's theorem you may find the proof in AGD rather cute. As for me, when I read the one paragraph of text that AGD put forward as a "proof" of Wick's Theorem, I immediately puked in my own mouth.

Yummy.

Another downside to AGD is the fact that they do not even mention the path integral formalism. Everything is done in the canonical formalism, as you might expect from a bunch of old school Russians.

Finally, I will repeat that this book IS a Classic, and there is a ton of great stuff in this book. If you are a serious student of condensed matter physics then you must have this book. If, on the other hand, you are trying to learn field theory for the first time, then go buy "Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell" by Zee.

Sorry to differ from the reader below.
This book is little or no use unless you have a very strong background in
field theoretical methods. If you are a seasoned pro.you might find it
useful but if you want to teach yourself.... youwill soon get frustrated.
Still my hat's off to the authors who pioneered the area.
Conclusion: if you are a PhD student, get Fetter & Walecka instead.

Possibly the best book on diagrams you can find
This is a classic, and quite possibly it doesn't get any better than this to teach you the technique. For those used to a textbook style, this will be a bit of an unpleasant surprise, because writing is somewhat condensed, but that's quite typical for the old Russian school of theoretical physics. However, all the important issues are properly stressed, all derivations are rigorous, and what is most important, the physical reasoning is clear an to the point. ... Read more

Product Description
This book consists of pedagogical lectures delivered at the Feza Gursey Institute in 1998 on non-perturbative approaches, or conformal field theory, the newer subject area that combines the work of physicists and mathematicians in an effort to extend understanding beyond the current, accepted notions of quantum field theory.Quantum field theory has been with us for over 75 years, but it only in the last 25 that physicists and mathematicians have jointly ventured out to explore its realms beyond the reach of perturbation theory, to the great benefit of both disciplines. Conformal Field Theory consists of pedagogical lectures delivered at the Feza Gursey Institute, Istanbul, in the summer of 1998 on some of these non-perturbative approaches. The topics of these lectures are central to our emerging understanding of conformal field theory and its importance to both statistical mechanics and string theory. Lectures include Wess-Zumino-Novikov-Witten models, the WZNW model as a prototype of general CFT models, meromorphic CFT, Monstrous Moonshine and the classification of CFT, the non-perturbative dynamics of four-dimensional models, and a derivation of the hadronic structure functions from quantum chromodynamics. The book is suitable for advanced graduate students and researchers in theoretical particle or statistical physics as well as pure mathematicians. ... Read more

Product Description
Modern experimental developments in condensed matter and ultracold atom physics present formidable challenges to theorists. This book provides a pedagogical introduction to quantum field theory in many-particle physics, emphasizing the applicability of the formalism to concrete problems. This second edition contains two new chapters developing path integral approaches to classical and quantum nonequilibrium phenomena. Other chapters cover a range of topics, from the introduction of many-body techniques and functional integration, to renormalization group methods, the theory of response functions, and topology. Conceptual aspects and formal methodology are emphasized, but the discussion focuses on practical experimental applications drawn largely from condensed matter physics and neighboring fields. Extended and challenging problems with fully worked solutions provide a bridge between formal manipulations and research-oriented thinking. Aimed at elevating graduate students to a level where they can engage in independent research, this book complements graduate level courses on many-particle theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Best Coverage of this material that I've come across
This book presents condensed matter field theory from a very modern standpoint, using the language of (euclidean space) path integrals.In addition to a good discussion on mean field theory, the includes more modern topics, and includes extensive discussions of the renormalization group, topological field theories. Furthermore, the coverage is very intuitive, but simultaneously does not shy away from the more subtle technical details.The authors are also careful to point out and explain potential points of confusion.Finally, there are a number of excercises (each accompanied by a brief solution, which makes the book great for self-study!).

In summary, this book is the most readible introduction to condensed matter field theory that I've come across.It's a necessary, and welcome addition to the current literature.

Miraculous Textbook
This book is really incredible. It is one of only a handful of really readable physics texts, and it carefully moves from very friendly explanations of basic concepts, such as a two page review of Gaussian integrals (things like this make it a great reference), to very advanced material. The last chapter on topology, for example, doesn't hold back from using the full machinery of differential geometry, but also provides a great tutorial on the subject.

Also, a closer read reveals that this book's point of view is thoroughly modern, in the sense that it puts symmetry concepts and non-perturbative techniques front and center. The authors do readers a huge service by promoting the idea that one of the keys to understanding complex quantum systems is to correctly identify their fundamental excitations.

Landmark of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics book!!!
This is an extremely well-written book, which covers almost all the modern topics in condensed matter physics while keeps the physics and mathematics clear and simple.

It is an invaluable reference or textbook for graduate students who are interested in theoretical condensed matter physics, esp. in strongly correlated systems.

It is almost the best book I have seen for a graduate student to study the functional method, renormalization-group theory, etc., applied to condensed matter systems.

Simple Language
This book is a good introduction to Field Theory applied in condensed matter physics. In dealing with two difficult subjects the authors do it in a very simple language. This is very important either to beginners or experts. There are very good solved examples to illustrate each section. Besides, there are small boxes citing the people behind the development of the issue. ... Read more

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Provides the framework for many fundamental theories in modern physics, and over the last few years the growing interest in its historical and philosophical foundations. Suited for anyone with an interest in the foundations of quantum physics. ... Read more

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Quantum field theory is the basic theory of elementary particle physics. In recent years, many techniques have been developed that extend and clarify this theory. This book develops quantum field theory starting from its foundation in quantum mechanics and incorporates the most modern methods, giving a thoroughly modern pedagogic account that starts from first principles. The path integral formulation is introduced right at the beginning. The method of dimensional continuation is employed to regulate and renormalize the theory. This facilitates the introduction of the concepts of the renormalization group at an early stage. The notion of spontaneous symmetry breakdown is also introduced early on by the example of superfluid helium. Topics in quantum electrodynamics are described that have an analog in quantum chromodynamics. Some novel techniques are employed, such as the use of dimensional continuation to compute the Lamb shift. This book is appropriate as a graduate level text in theoretical physics and particle physics, and is complete with exercises for practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent pedagogy for a first course in QFT
This is perhaps the ONLY book on QFT which has good pedagogy as essential motivation. Even Peskin-Schroeder does not accomplish this. Everything is explained in all full details without compromise and the problems give theopportunity to learn a lot from the numerous hints provided by the author.The price for this is the limited scope(canonical quantisation is notexposed, nothing on non-abelian gauge, the insistance on path integralsgives a rather one-sided view of the theory), but this is not a defect,it's largely compensated by the quality of the book.

Excellent Textbook
This textbook really puts you through your paces as far a functional integral methods and their applications to QFT go. The only bad bit is that it is 'half-a-book' (in L. Brown's preface) - it doesn't cover non-Abelian gauge theories at all. Excellent for a first course in Quantum Field Theory.

Nice pedegogy
Lowell Brown's QFT text is a nice modernintroduction, but be forwarned that things are developed completely, so there is no room to really cover anything beyond QED.Note that the other review on this page (as of 10/24/97) and teh TOC refer to Rhyder's text, not this one. ... Read more

Product Description
A new, updated and enhanced edition of the classic work, which was welcomed for its general approach and self-sustaining organization of the chapters.

Written by a highly respected textbook writer and researcher, this book has a more general scope and adopts a more practical approach than other books. It includes applications of condensed matter physics, first developing traditional concepts, including Feynman graphs, before moving on to such key topics as functional integrals, statistical mechanics and Wilson's renormalization group. The author takes care to explain the connection between the latter and conventional perturbative renormalization. Due to the rapid advance and increase in importance of low dimensional systems, this second edition fills a gap in the market with its added discussions of low dimensional systems, including one-dimensional conductors.

All the chapters have been revised, while more clarifying explanations and problems have been added. A free solutions manual is available for lecturers from www.wiley-vch.de/textbooks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Extremely solid for self-teaching
This book is an ideal introduction to quantum field theory for a graduate student. Assuming a strong background in basic quantum mechanics and classical mechanics, Huang develops quantum field in a methodical fashion. In contrast to other popular quantum field theory books (such as Peskin) Huang doesn't leave out important details, especially with regard to the mathematics behind spinor fields. Plus the book is very readable.

A good introduction to the physics behind renormalization
A very good introduction to QFT. It starts with a rather classical account of QED, then develops renormalization and applies it mainly to statistical physics. So the text does not cover non-abelian gauge theories, and is notsufficient for readers who learn QFT for particle physics applications. Butthe exposition of renormalization is really excellent and complete. I likedthe exceptional clarity and lucidity of most calculations, and theexcellent set of problems. Solving them all extends the book's scope farbeyond the table of contents. ... Read more

Product Description
When the intellectual history of the twentieth century is written, Kurt Lewin will surely be counted as one of those few men whose work changed fundamentally the course of social science in its most critical period of development. During his professional life . . . the social sciences grew from the stage of speculative system building . . . to a more mature development in which empirical data are sought for the significance they can have for systemic theories. One reason for this breadth of influence is that much of his work concerned itself with determining the methodological and conceptual prerequisites for a mature science of human behavior." --from the Foreword to Field Theory in Social Science by Dorwin Cartwright APA is proud to reissue these two classics by Kurt Lewin, Resolving Social Conflicts and Field Theory in Social Science, in one comprehensive volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kurt Lewin, seminal author
This material will be used for my dissertation research.Key seminal material for a dissertation in Leadership. Thank you, for your prompt delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
The rise of quantum electrodynamics (QED) made possible a number of excellent textbooks on quantum field theory in the 1960s. However, the rise of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and the Standard Model has made it urgent to have a fully modern textbook for the 1990s and beyond. Building on the foundation of QED, Quantum Field Theory: A Modern Introduction presents a clear and comprehensive discussion of the gauge revolution and the theoretical and experimental evidence which makes the Standard Model the leading theory of subatomic phenomena. The book is divided into three parts: Part I, Fields and Renormalization, lays a solid foundation by presenting canonical quantization, Feynman rules and scattering matrices, and renormalization theory. Part II, Gauge Theory and the Standard Model, focuses on the Standard Model and discusses path integrals, gauge theory, spontaneous symmetry breaking, the renormalization group, and BPHZ quantization. Part III, Non-perturbative Methods and Unification, discusses more advanced methods which now form an essential part of field theory, such as critical phenomena, lattice gauge theory, instantons, supersymmetry, quantum gravity, supergravity, and superstrings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

This is an Introduction - Not an In-Depth Study...DUH
Some of these reviewers need to review the title of the book. This is a "modern introduction to quantum field theory", not some in-depth study with hearty breadth. Duh. For physicist's you people don't have much common sense to speak of.

mediocre exposition
This is all around a pretty mediocre, uninspired exposition of quantum field theory.More recent works by Weinberg and Peskin & Schroder, for example, are far more coherent and elegant.

extensive problem sets are useful
Several of the other reviewers may be correct, about the quality of the text, and the developments of some of its arguments. It does however go beyond such earlier standard texts, like Sakurai's "Advanced Quantum Mechanics", which was just an introductory treatment of relativistic quantum mechanics. Kaku takes you well into the depths of QCD and the [current] Standard Model.

If you are a grad student wanting expertise in this field, an attraction of the book is its extensive problem sets for each chapter. Perhaps more so than the textual exposition! Another reviewer bemoaned the lack of worked out problems or answers. Well, that lack is the norm for many advanced texts. You just have to get used to it. But a more positive way to look at this is to recognise that sometimes knowing that an answer to a problem exists can be valuable in itself.

Too superficial, but ok reference
In my opinion this book is just ok. The breadth of material it covers is good. You can find topics such as critical phenomena and lattice gauge theory among its twenty plus chapters. However, I don't think there is generally much depth. To me the book reads like a catalog of results, I don't see it providing students with any real mathematical or physical insights. The main use I see for it is as a reference.

Page counting isn't a perfect means to determine completeness, but hopefully it does give an impression of the style. A couple of brief examples would be BRST quantization being covered in two pages (almost all equations) and SU(5) in one page. These are just a couple of places where I thought the treatment was so superficial I wondered why it was included at all.

A more detailed example would be the treatment of quantum gravity. It goes from the equivalence principle to Christoffel symbols in five pages, the Robertson-Walker solution is covered in barely more than a page and inflation in two pages. Maybe it's me, but I just don't see people that don't already know this stuff learning it here. Another comment on this chapter concerns the approach to developing classical general relativity. It is based on the properties of covariant vectors and contravariant vectors under coordinate transformation, this is definitely not a modern approach.

The topics it covers are quite interesting, a student with an excellent instructor may find it a useful book. However, I find it hard to imagine many people learning quantum field theory by reading this book. Just off the top of my head I can think of four books that I think most people would find much more helpful in learning quantum field theory: Peskin and Schroeder, Ryder, Weinberg and Zee ("quantum field theory in a nutshell" this isn't so much a traditional text book, but it is very insightful).

Expectations unrewarded
My background is a Ph.D. (1963) in physics.My dissertation was based on the Mössbauer Effect, and my brief career in research was in areas of electron transport physics. I never had a strong background in high energy physics, and my quantum field theory exposure was mainly QED.

Now that I am retired, I read some physics and looked to Prof. Kaku's book for a survey of current QFT and an introduction to string theory.I have just finished reading Chapter 2, which the Preface states may be skipped by the student who "already understands the basics of group theory . . . or who does not want to delve that deeply into the intricacies of quantum field theory."I certainly did not place myself in that class of student and decided to delve.

The presentation of Chapter 2 leads to the "essential point" (p58) that the Lorentz and Poincaré groups are at the heart of quantum field theory, and "the results of this chapter will be used throughout the book".For that reason, the results should have been developed with great clarity, and I cannot say I found that true.

For example, equations 2.104 which state the Poincaré algebra, as described as showing that translations transform as a vector under the Lorentz group.But the transformation of a vector is defined by eq. 2.91.No connection is anywhere demonsrated between eq. 2.91 and 2.104; nor elsewhere between commutation relations and the transformation of vector fields.

In the discussion of the Casimir operator, the Pauli-Lubanski tensor (p.55), the evaluation in the rest-frame of the space part of the vector (tensor) based on eq. 2.106 leads to "the rotation matrix in three dimensions."But eq. 2.106 is an operator equation, whereas the result (eq. 2.108) is a matrix equation.What is the connection?

I shall plow on with the text in the hope that it will become clearer as I proceed.My feeling at this point is frustration, because I cannot tell for whom this book was written. ... Read more

Product Description
The second volume covers diverse topics, including strong coupling expansions and their analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, two-dimensional conformal field theory, and simple disordered systems.The book concludes with a chapter on random geometry and the Polyakov model of random surfaces, which illustrates the relations between string theory and statistical physics. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Sketchy
I had hoped this would be an affordable substitute for Birrell and Davies.Unfortunately, it is no substitute.The presentation is very sketchy and abstract.If you are into algebraic QFT and that sort of stuff then maybe you will like this book more than I did.

Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime and Black Hole Thermodynamics (Chicago Lectures in Physics)
I ordered this physics book for my brother. He informed me that he received it and was apparently very happy with it. This is all I can say relative to this purchase. ... Read more

Product Description
This book develops quantum field theory in curved spacetime in a pedagogical style, suitable for graduate students. The authors present detailed, physically motivated, derivations of cosmological and black hole processes in which curved spacetime plays a key role. They explain how such processes in the rapidly expanding early universe leave observable consequences today, and how in the context of evaporating black holes, these processes uncover deep connections between gravitation and elementary particles. The authors also lucidly describe many other aspects of free and interacting quantized fields in curved spacetime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Graduate level, mathematically rigorous
Leonard Parker is a Distinguished Professor of physics and director of the Center for Gravitation and Cosmology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is basically the founder of the study of quantum field theory in curved space-time. His has work formed the basis of research by hundreds of physicists worldwide including being cited by Stephen Hawking in his discover the creation of particles by black holes.

David Toms (Ph.D. University of Toronto) is a member of the faculty in Mathematical Physics at the University of Newcastle. He has published numerous papers in Quantum field theory, General relativity, Quantum gravity, Bose-Einstein condensation, and Statistical mechanics.

This book, positioned at the graduate level requires considerable background in classical general relativity, basic quantum field theory, and the associated mathematics. It is mathematically rigorous and could be used for a one or two semester course or by the individual researcher.

Comprehensive & comprehensible
Having tried to work through Birrell & Davies a few years ago,
I remember that the text was well written and insightful, but
just seemed too dense on certain subjects, such as the Dirac
equation in curved space.

Knowing that Parker is one of the pioneers in the field, I was
excited when the book was announced. Once I got it in my hands,
I jumped right ahead to the spinor/Dirac equation chapter and
happily found a thorough account of it, with no details omitted.

The text does of course require a background in QFT in flat space and
of classical general relativity, although a brief account of the former
is given in Chapter 1. To me, it's main advantage is the thorough
and detailed presentation of calculations.

If I had to point out a flaw - and this may sound strange -
I would say that the main advantage is also its disadvantage:
you may be lost in all the details and miss the big picture, i.e.
the calculations are clear but sometimes their motivation is not as clear.
However, this does not prevent me from appreciating the
detailed calculations, which is what a beginner needs.

In conclusion, if you need a good pedagogical introduction
to QFT in curved space, the book by Mukhanov is an excellent starter.
If you want a good overall picture of the subject, then the
monograph by Birrel & Davies is a very good resource.
If you want a text that is thorough, pedagogical and detailed,
then I think Parker & Toms will become a new standard reference.
... Read more

Product Description
The importance and the beauty of modern quantum field theory resides in the power and variety of its methods and ideas, which find application in domains as different as particle physics, cosmology, condensed matter, statistical mechanics and critical phenomena.This book introduces the reader to the modern developments in a manner which assumes no previous knowledge of quantum field theory.Along with standard topics like Feynman diagrams, the book discusses effective lagrangians, renormalization group equations, the path integral formulation, spontaneous symmetry breaking and non-abelian gauge theories.The inclusion of more advanced topics will also make this a most useful book for graduate students and researchers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Exciting approach with dense chapters
I like the approach of this book in the sense that it first treats groups and the transformations that comprise representations of the groups. Then it moves to the construction of various spinor fields.Only once the full equipment of transformations on these fields has been explained, does the book move into Lagrangian field theory.Then, finally, it treats the quantization of the fields.For a first field theory text (which this is for me) I like this approach because it shows the more exciting and exotic material at the very beginning.

Though I like the broad arrangement of the material, individual sections can be a bit obtuse from time to time.They are very dense and frequently seek to explain things in the most general sense, even when the most general sense is not the clearest or most intuitive.

Clean and understandable
This book presents the basics of QFT in a form that is very understandable.The author starts by presenting Lie algebra, which is used to justify spinors.A spinor Lagrangian then creates the Dirac equation.This approach makes the Dirac equation seem as natural as the Maxwell equation.I have previously seen two other books that took the approach of taking Schrodinger's equation and relativity and mashing the two together using Pauli matrices as glue.That never sat well with me and I was glad to see some justification.The clear, consistent, modern notation was a great help - I have seen other books that mix Einstein notation with bold-face 4-vectors using dot products, etc.I also found it helpful to have a concise book to introduce the concepts without getting bogged down in examples with equations spanning the entire page (this book does however have examples at the end of the chapters).

The next chapters introduce quantization, perturbation theory, non-abelian theories, etc.I only got through half the book as it was just some summer reading for me, but paging through the latter half makes me look forward to having the time to finish it.

A Wonderful Book For Quickly Learning The Meat Of QFT
This book is short and to the point.The author has a good sense for the heart of the subject and how to present it in an efficient way.I would recommend this book to anybody who wants to either a.) learn the meat of QFT quickly or b.) wants a good reference which quickly reviews the most important parts of QFT.Since the technical details are important, I would highly recommend using this book in conjunction with a book with more technical details like the one by Peskin and Schroeder. (However, this book does have a lot of good information for its size.)Reading this book will help catalyze your understanding of the details in a more technical book. ... Read more

Product Description

Learn quantum field theory relatively easily

Trying to comprehend quantum field theory but don't have infinite time or the IQ of Einstein? No problem! This easy-to-follow guide helps you understand this complex subject matter without spending a lot of energy.

Quantum Field Theory Demystified covers essential principles such as particle physics and special relativity. You'll learn about Lagrangian field theory, group theory, and electroweak theory. The book also explains continuous and discrete symmetries, spontaneous symmetry breaking, and supersymmetry. With thorough coverage of the mathematics of quantum field theory and featuring end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam to test your knowledge, this book will teach you the fundamentals of this theoretical framework in no time at all.

This fast and easy guide offers:

• Numerous figures to illustrate key concepts
• Sample equations with worked solutions
• Coverage of quantum numbers
• Details on the Dirac equation, the Feynman rules, and the Higgs mechanism
• A time-saving approach to performing better on an exam or at work

Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for an advanced student, Quantum Field Theory Demystified is your shortcut to understanding this fascinating area of physics.

Customer Reviews (15)

This does what it says!
Quantum field theory is daunting for anyone working in the field and even more so for others who want to learn what it is all about. "Quantum Field Theory Demystified" is an excellent primer and will be useful to anyone who has taken a previous elementary class in quantum physics. There are a few math typos and I would have loved to see more about the Higgs field explained.I recommend it.

Fred Alan Wolf aka Dr. Quantum

Taking the Quantum Leap: The New Physics for Nonscientists

Not useful to learn quantum field theory



Sadly, this book is almost completely useless to learn quantum field theory.
There is actually very little quantum field theory discussed at all!

For example,

- Wick's theorem is not even mentioned!

- There is no mention of the LSZ reduction formula!



At this point, you might wonder how can the author derive the Feynman rules at all.
Good question. After writing the time evolution as a Dyson series, the author writes, I quote:

"Confused? Who wouldn't be. Luckily Feynman understood well enough this stuff to distill
it down to a simple recipe. We will forget everything we've done so far and use the Feynman rules
to calculate amplitudes"

He then just throws in the Feynman rules.
This is unacceptable given that the purpose of the book is supposedly to demystify
quantum field theory!

But it does not stop there. Feynman rules are only given for tree level processes.
There is no discussion of loop diagrams anywhere in the book! And therefore, no
discussion of regularization, renormalization, the renormalization group, Fadeev-Popov ghosts
and all the subtleties associated to loop dagrams.

Even worse, there areno explanations of how to calculate decay rates and cross sections!!
So there is not a singleexample of cross section or decay rate calculations in the book, not even
for tree level processes!

There are about 10 pages on path integrals and it is only in the context of quantum mechanics.
(And 3 of these pages are devoted to showing how to integrate x^n e^(-a x^2)!)

Some space is devoted to the electroweak theory and the Higgs mechanism, as well as a short chapter on
SUSY, but this is a strange choice of topics when there are such huge gaps in the sections on
quantum field theory, supposedly the main topic of the book. To learn quantum field theory, QFT Demystified
is useless, I am sorry to say.

Even the little material that is covered contains mistakes, and not just typos.
For example, he defines a group G as something obeying four axioms, one of which is

"Axiom 4.Order: The order of the group is the number of elements that belongs to G."

Obviously, this does not make sense as an axiom!


If you want a nice and pedagogical introduction to both quantum field theory and to
particle physics, save your money and getGriffiths'book (An Introduction to ElementaryParticles) is infinitelybetter.
After GriffithsI woudl suggest any of the following books: Srednicki, Maggiore,Mandl and Shaw,
Aithchison and Hey, Halzen and Martin, Ryder, Peskin and Schroeder, Hatfield or Greiner, etc.

To conclude, if you know even a tiny bit about QFT, you won't learn anything new. If you have no background in QFT, you might feel that you have learned a little, but as soon as you look at other books or try to do a calculation, you will realize that the book did not teach you much.

Does what it says on the cover
I thought this book was excellent because it does exactly what it said it would... it demystifies quantum field theory. What this means is that, if like me you have a good non-mathematical understanding of particle physics and want to take the next step from quantum mechanics to quantum field theory ths book enables you to do that. It has loads of examples which clearly demystify the maths. It's not the final book you will use, its the middle one. The one that allows you to go from quantum mechnics to field theory. Enjoy
ps Beware, lots of typos

Intro to QFT
This book seemed like an entry into this study of QFT (at home in spare time).I was looking for a book with formulas rather than one of the many books that avoid them.

My physics training is 3 decades old now and very rusty.I quickly got confused and it turns out because of errors in the text rather than the material.Good to know I remember enough physics to pick up errors but frustrating to be slowed down so quickly by them.

I've put the book aside after less than 2 chapters.The good news this book inspired me to turn to "QFT in a nutshell" that I've had for a few months.

Three stars because it might be a good casual read but I don't intend to pay too much attention to the formulas except at a very high level.I might take it on trips and read on the plane.

Great supplement
By reading this book alone, you will not master quantum field theory.You probably won't learn much except for some lingo and a few equations.However, if you pair this book with Griffiths Intro to Elementary Particles, or Zee's Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell, then you will get great results!This helpful little book cuts straight to the important material.It is very much like an outline of basic quantum field theory, so the more you know all around (i.e. from lectures, other books, etc) the more use you will get from this book.I would especially recommend this book to anyone trying to self-study quantum field theory. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
A completely self-contained treatment of the concepts essential to solving problems in electricity and magnetism, this volume also features numerous conceptual applications. A preliminary chapter offers background in coordinate systems, and six key chapters examine the operational definition of charge and current; specification of arbitrary distributions of charge and current; definition of the electromagnetic field and its effect on general charge distributions; electric field produced by static charges; magnetic induction field produced by steady currents; and Maxwell's equations in vacuum. Subsequent chapters cover plane electromagnetic waves in vacuum; potential theory; conduction, dielectric polarization, and magnetization; more. 1981 ed.
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Customer Reviews (2)

Not so good...
The edition is very old and it is very brief on some important topics. There is better books on subject like Engineering Electromagnetics.

a great and explanatory book about electromagnetism
this book is VERY DIFFERENT from all the others that i have read about Electromagnetism's theory. It treats the Electric and Magnetic field in parallel, and not the one after the other as other books do. So, the reader can compare the fields in all of their details, and gain an insight that is not coming out easily from other books. Ialso found a lot of in-depth information and new clear explanations here, so that i would say that this book opened new horizons in my mind.In my opinion, this is A MUST to everyone who wants to UNDERSTAND electromagnetism. ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook covers, step-by-step, important topics in quantum mechanics, from traditional subjects like bound states, perturbation theory and scattering, to more current topics such as coherent states, quantum Hall effect, spontaneous symmetry breaking, superconductivity, and basic quantum electrodynamics with radiative corrections. The large number of diverse topics are covered in concise, highly focused chapters, and are explained in simple but mathematically rigorous ways. Derivations of results and formula are carried out from beginning to end, without leaving students to complete them. With over 200 exercises to aid understanding of the subject, this textbook provides a thorough grounding for students planning to enter research in physics. Several exercises are solved in the text, and password-protected solutions for remaining exercises are available to instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521877602. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Thanks Prof. Desai!
A very generous author sharing his knowledge and guiding you through a modern exposition of Quantum Mechanics.
Great book!.
Please keep on writing!
The publisher should have used lighter weight paper. This book weighs a ton!
Amazon should give this text greater visibility!

Former student's review.
Caveat:I have not yet obtained my copy of the book.I can only write from my experience with the draft, which were essentially lecture notes used as the core text for graduate quantum mechanics at UC Riverside.

I took Professor Desai's quantum courses, and also electromagnetics from him.

His book is the extension of lecture notes provided to his students and developed over several iterations of teaching graduate quantum mechanics.The nice thing is he is including new material on more advanced topics we did not have time to cover when I took his lectures.

I have studied from many texts.Shankar, Sakurai, and Liboff.I'm glad that Desai's book is now available, and am looking forward to getting my copy.

I can say that Professor Desai lets the math speak for itself.Compared to other physics authors, Professor Desai is habitually explicit and concise.Looking at the table of contents, Desai is covering more real-world topics in dedicated chapters than a current popular text, and leading the student to second quantization, with only 200 pages more.He's following the example of Schiff.

And there are some nice pedagogical features to the book as well.Gauge theory is treated early on in Desai.So you're basically gaining knowledge useful for both E&M and quantum in one course of study.Since the student isgoing to be taking both at the same time, this is good.This "dual gain" is also present with Desai's treatment of Green's functions and path integration, which will carry over to E&M also.This is what I experienced taking his course.


The book is a definite buy, that's easy... the real question is what wine to drink while reading it?

Extremely Detailed Mathematics, Everything Derived for You
As a student of Dr. Desai's, I've had first-hand experience with working through this textbook, in the context of the author's own lectures. This book is extremely good for working through derivations of various quantum mechanics concepts, and mathematically, is quite rigorous. I think this book would be most useful for the graduate student theorist, who is perhaps not as interested in experimental application of quantum mechanics as an experimentalist.

The end of chapter problems are at times esoteric and mathematical, applying linear algebra to deconstruct an operator with no quantum mechanical context, however, often, the mathematics from these problems appear far ahead in the text. I would recommend the student also use another textbook to gain a more 'experimentalist' perspective on quantum mechanics.

This book contains some errors (it is only in its first edition). At times the errors are minor, but other times they can be more significant. The most common error seems to be false equation references, or a missing 'h-bar' and factors of 'c'. Very occasionally (I have seen one or two within the first 300 pages) there is a serious error, such as using an angular momentum vector instead of a magnetic field vector.

I think this book is an excellent resource, and is almost completely self contained. It will teach you the tools and mathematical back-bone of quantum mechanics, but leaves rigorous applications of the subject to the student's imagination.

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