Product Description
The new edition of this landmark volume takes into account the vast amount of new spectral data on minerals, and describes a variety of applications of crystal field theory to the earth and planetary sciences. A unique perspective of the second edition is that it highlights the properties of minerals that make them compounds of interest to solid state chemists and physicists. ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents in a short volume the basics of quantumfield theory and many body physics. The first part introduces theperturbative techniques without sophisticated apparatus and appliesthem to numerous problems including quantum electrodynamics(renormalization), Fermi and Bose gases, the Brueckner theory ofnuclear system, liquid Helium and classical systems with noise.Thematerial is clear, illustrative and the important points are stressedto help the reader get the understanding of what is crucial withoutoverwhelming him with unnecessary detours or comments. The material inthe second part ranges from variational principles to path integrals,discusses gauge theory, the renormalization group and classicalsolutions together with their applications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A concise good book
This book is suitable for those meeting the subject for the first time- graduate students in theoretical physics take note.Divided into two parts: Part 1 on General Field Theory and part 2 on Advanced Field theory, it treats both parts competently. Part 2 kicks off with a good discussion of Schwinger's Action Principle and includes a very good treatment of Path Integrals. Part 1 is mainly the usual canonical field theory, Feynman diagrams, QED, but also includes the application of the diagrammatic techniques to the many-body system.This addition is nonconventional and is welcome.However two cautionary remarks: Calculations are sparse and there are no problems at the ends of the chapters.You need to rectify that by resorting to a text like the one by Peskin and Scheroder.Secondly there are quite a number of typographical erros...not very serious and might hopefully be eliminated in future editions. I like this book!

A good concise book
This book is suitable for those meeting the subject for the first time- graduate students in theoretical physics take note. It has two parts: Part 1 is the conventional canonical perturbation diagrammatic Feynman-Dyson technique with a welcome additional nonconventional application to the many-body system.Part 2 is advanced field theory kicking off with a beautiful discussion of Schwinger's Action Principle and includung a clear exposition of Path Integrals.On the whole this book is concise and well written.Two cautionary remarks are however in order: Not many calculations are there and no problems at the ends of chapters. So you might need to resort to a companion book like that by Peskin and Schroeder. Also there are quite anumber of typographical errors- not serious and might hopefully be eliminated in future editions. I like this book. ... Read more

Product Description
A complete, up-to-date treatment of ligand field theory and its applications Ligand Field Theory and Its Applications presents an up-to-date account of ligand field theory, the model currently used to describe the metal-ligand interactions in transition metal compounds, and the way it is used to interpret the physical properties of the complexes. It examines the traditional electrostatic crystal field model, still widely used by physicists, as well as covalent approaches such as the angular overlap model, which interprets the metal ligand interactions using parameters relating directly to chemical behavior.

Written by internationally recognized experts in the field, this book provides a comparison between ligand field theory and more sophisticated treatments as well as an account of the methods used to calculate the energy levels in compounds of the transition metals. It also covers physical properties such as stereochemistry, light absorption, and magnetic behavior. An emphasis on the interpretation of experimental results broadens the book's field of interest beyond transition metal chemistry into the many other areas where these metal ions play an important role.

As clear and accessible as Brian Figgis's 1966 classic Introduction to Ligand Fields, this new book provides inorganic and bioinorganic chemists as well as physical chemists, chemical physicists, and spectroscopists with a much-needed overview of the many significant changes that have taken place in ligand field theory over the past 30 years. ... Read more

Product Description
The first comprehensive treatment of relativistic electrodynamics, and still essential reading in the field, deftly revealing the classical underpinnings of modern quantum field theory. Among the topics: space-time, Lorentz transformations, conservation laws, equations of motion, Green’s functions and action-at-a-distance electrodynamics.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Do not buy
The book is excellent in terms of contents. But this dover edition comes with hand-written notes! Probably they used a used-book when making this printing. Do not buy!

excellent
This is an excellent book if you want to understand Electrodynamics for what it really is-a relativistic field theory!

Very nice and concise book
Starts from the foundations of Special-Relativity, including Lorentz transformation, groups and spinors, then dynamics.
Formulation of Lagrangian fields and the conserved quantities is also very good, though I think Rohrlich's book is better.
Covers self-interaction and radiation reaction in a very clear way.
In short, for this price, it is truly a gem.

A beautiful little book
This is a concise, clear, friendly but unfussy little book on classical electrodynamics (CED), and relativistic fields. Simultaneously, it provides an easy introduction to the mathematical machinery of relativistic dynamics and fields. There is an agreeable emphasis on the Lagrangian formulations, a good-sized chapter devoted to radiation and radiation-reaction, and a (regrettably) short piece on action-at-a-distance CED. This book is about the structure of CED in general, and does not deal with particular arrangements of charges, currents, coils, etc. etc. in the manner of an undergraduate text on EM.

Learnin all about Classical Fields
On the subject of Classical fields, I have not read a better book than Barut's. It is clear and comprehensive. I discovered more about things like the Lorentz group and the Lagrangian formalism of fields than I thoughtexisted. It is an excellent book by all standards. If you need to learnQuantum Field theory, start here first. Learn all about classical fields.The equations in this book are ready for quantization. ... Read more

Product Description

Class field theory, the study of abelian extensions of algebraic number fields, is one of the largest branches of algebraic number theory. It brings together the quadratic and higher reciprocity laws of Gauss, Legendre, and others, and vastly generalizes them. Some of its consequences (e.g., the Chebotarev density theorem) apply even to nonabelian extensions.

This book is an accessible introduction to class field theory. It takes a traditional approach in that it attempts to present the material using the original techniques of proof (global to local), but in a fashion which is cleaner and more streamlined than most other books on this topic. It could be used for a graduate course on algebraic number theory, as well as for students who are interested in self-study. The book has been class-tested, and the author has included exercises throughout the text.

Product Description
This book is intended to serve as a textbook for an entry level graduate course on electromagnetics (first seven chapters) and for an advanced level graduate course on computational electromagnetics (last five chapters). Whereas there are several textbooks available for the graduate electromagnetics course, no textbook is available for the advanced course on computational electromagnetics. This book is intended to fill this void and present electromagnetic theory in a systematic manner so that students can advance from the first course to the second without much difficulty. Even though the first part of the book covers the standard basic electromagnetic theory, the coverage is different from that in existing textbooks. This is mainly the result of the undergraduate curriculum reform that occurred during the past two decades. Many universities reduced the number of required courses in order to give students more freedom to design their own portfolio. As a result, only one electromagnetics course is required for undergraduate students in most electrical engineering departments in the country. New graduate students come to take the graduate electromagnetics course with a significant difference in their knowledge of basic electromagnetic theory. To meet the challenge to benefit all students of backgrounds, this book covers both fundamental theories, such as vector analysis, Maxwell's equations and boundary conditions, and transmission line theory, and advanced topics, such as wave transformation, addition theorems, and scattering by a layered sphere. ... Read more

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This is the first volume of a modern introduction to quantum field theory which addresses both mathematicians and physicists ranging from advanced undergraduate students to professional scientists. The book tries to bridge the existing gap between the different languages used by mathematicians and physicists. For students of mathematics it is shown that detailed knowledge of the physical background helps to motivate the mathematical subjects and to discover interesting interrelationships between quite different mathematical topics. For students of physics, fairly advanced mathematics is presented, which is beyond the usual curriculum in physics. It is the author's goal to present the state of the art of realizing Einstein's dream of a unified theory for the four fundamental forces in the universe (gravitational, electromagnetic, strong, and weak interaction).

From the reviews: "… Quantum field theory is one of the great intellectual edifices in the history of human thought. … This volume differs from other books on quantum field theory in its greater emphasis on the interaction of physics with mathematics. … an impressive work of scholarship." (SIAM Review 2008)

Customer Reviews (2)

Pretty good
If is not too unfair to say that quantum field theory is a kind of bag of tricks, but considering its monumental experimental success it is apparent that these tricks have worked. From a mathematical standpoint they are very suspect, and the professional mathematician who studies the formalism of quantum field theory will be aghast at its non-rigor, especially in the area of renormalization. That is not to say that no attempts have been made to put quantum field theory on a rigorous mathematical foundation. This has occupied the time of many researchers, but as of yet, such a foundation has not been found.

In spite of this, and justifiably so, quantum field theory goes on, and people taking up its study are faced at times with making choices between mathematical rigor and physical relevance. The author of this book, the first of a planned series of 4 volumes, realizes this and has attempted to give the reader a first glance of quantum field theory that emphasizes both the physics and the mathematical relationships that are part of its narrative. In general the author does a fairly good job, even though at times the details of certain subjects are left out, while others are developed to excess.

From selective chapters, this reviewer found that the following discussions stand out:

A Glance at Topology:
This chapter does not contain a whole lot of insights or material that cannot be found in other books. The author it seems wants to whet the reader's appetite but clearly wants to put off detailed discussion of the mathematics until Volume 3 or 4 of this series. There are a few places in the chapter though that deserves some comment:

- The concept of transversality is introduced for curves when discussing intersection theory but the author does not use the tangent space. Instead, he alludes to the `generic' property of transversality, namely that it can be obtained by sufficiently small perturbations which are `stable". Stability is a measure-theoretic concept and so the author explains this briefly by Sard's theorem.

- The first Chern class of the tangent bundle of the sphere is stated but not motivated. Readers will have to search intensely for this motivation in the original literature, and will find that it is relatively scant, as is the entire literature on characteristic classes in this regard. There are many books and monographs on the subject, but most, if not all, are purely formal and do not motivate the concepts in a way that they can be truly appreciated. If the author is able to pull this off in the later volumes, it would be a major advance in the education of quantum field theory.

- There is an interesting discussion of the Hopf fibration of the 3-dimensional sphere, but emphasizing the physics rather than the mathematics. The author uses the Hopf fibration to characterize the quantum states of a non-relativistic electron, but again defers the proof of the important results to Volume IV. Essential to his discussion is his claim that representing electron quantum states in this fashion is an indication of "nonlinearity."

Many-Particle Systems in Mathematics and Physics
- The author cannot resist relating the partition function of statistical physics with number theory and the Riemann zeta function. His discussion is fitting given the current work on proving the Riemann hypothesis using ideas from quantum field theory.
- Modular forms are briefly discussed here, which again is fitting because of the work of a few mathematical physicists who are attempting to show connections between the Langlands program in algebraic geometry and number theory and the notion of duality in gauge theories and string theory.
- The discussion on the Casimir effect is interesting, mainly because the author explains how physicists view the notion of convergence in a series. Physicists are actually more receptive to using divergent series, with the renormalization program in quantum field theory being the best example of this. Several summation methods for divergent series have been invented and used by physicists. The author gives a very detailed, superb discussion on the analytic number theory behind the Casimir effect.

Rigorous Finite-Dimensional Magic Formulas of Quantum Field Theory
- The title of this chapter is interesting, given the infinite-dimensional nature of quantum field theory. But apparently the author wants to build the reader's confidence and intuition using ordinary linear algebra of finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces (with a bit of Dirac calculus and discrete path integrals thrown in).
- One of most useful relations for calculations in quantum field theory, especially gauge theory, namely that DetA = Exp(Tr(Ln(A))) is discussed here in the context of Lie groups.
- The Dyson series, the bread-and-butter of perturbation calculations in quantum field theory is discussed and viewed as a consequence of the principle of superposition.
- The treatment of the functional calculus is rigorous, but this may mislead the newcomer to quantum field theory as being extendable to the full infinite-dimensional quantum field theory.

Rigorous Finite-Dimensional Perturbation Theory
- This chapter is very interesting in that it views the issues in the renormalization of quantum field theory as a problem in bifurcation theory. In fact the author makes the somewhat radical statement that this is similar to the problems in chaotic classical dynamics where the motions of asteroids for example are complicated because of the resonances that can occur. "The complexity of phenomena in quantum field theory is caused by resonances," he states. Readers more knowledgeable about quantum field theory, such as this reviewer may find this somewhat novel and will no doubt want to study the chapter in more detail than the others to see just how good this analogy is.In this regard, it must be remembered that this discussion takes place in finite dimensions, and so the analogy to bifurcation on second glance may not be too surprising.

Another Road to Reality
I'm in love with QFT. I noticed this planned monumental 6-volume work some time ago but I bought this book from Amazon UK after reading Quantum Field Theory Demystified and looking for more thorough ab initio treatment of QFT. Upon its arrival I immersed myself into it and in my opinion the first volume is like The Road to Reality book but more mathematically oriented with proofs, numerous examples, historical notes, generous citations and references.

Thanks,
Dmitry Vostokov
Founder of Literate Scientist Blog ... Read more

Product Description
Ideas from quantum field theory and string theory have had considerable impact on mathematics over the past 20 years. Advances in many different areas have been inspired by insights from physics.

In 1996-97 the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, NJ) organized a special year-long program designed to teach mathematicians the basic physical ideas which underlie the mathematical applications. The purpose is eloquently stated in a letter written by Robert MacPherson: "The goal is to create and convey an understanding, in terms congenial to mathematicians, of some fundamental notions of physics ... [and to] develop the sort of intuition common among physicists for those who are used to thought processes stemming from geometry and algebra."

These volumes are a written record of the program. They contain notes from several long and many short courses covering various aspects of quantum field theory and perturbative string theory. The courses were given by leading physicists and the notes were written either by the speakers or by mathematicians who participated in the program. The book also includes problems and solutions worked out by the editors and other leading participants. Interspersed are mathematical texts with background material and commentary on some topics covered in the lectures.These two volumes present the first truly comprehensive introduction to this field aimed at a mathematics audience. They offer a unique opportunity for mathematicians and mathematical physicists to learn about the beautiful and difficult subjects of quantum field theory and string theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Amazingly different!
If you are a mathematician and want to know what QFT and string theory (ST) are about, or if you are a string theorist, but want to know more about the mathematics behind the theory, then this book is what you are looking for. This book is totally different than any other standard textbook on QFT or ST. Mathematicians will love the fact that it is written in a language that is (close to) theirs, and physicists will enjoy it (provided they have a more solid background in mathematics than the average practical physicists), because it shows QFT and ST from completely "new" angles.

The book is a collection of lectures given by the various contributors, which fit together perfectly . The first volume has a very good overview of concepts and definitions at the very beginning and serves as a more mathematically oriented introductory treatment of SUSY and QFT with many advanced topics near the end. The second volume starts with an axiomatic approach of CFT and its use in string theory and then quantises strings with the BRST method (on a more mathematical level than usual), which is done superbly.

It's a great reference, a wonderful textbook and a true delicacy in modern mathematical physics. A MUST HAVE for every mathematically inclined physicst or any mathematician with interests in physics! Great value for money...

Lots to learn...
These articles are great. They do well in delineating theconceptual and rigorous frameworksof the subjects.

Included are exercises (and solutions)culminating from the problem sessions held at Quantum Field Theory program at IAS.

Physicists interested in the mathematical aspects of quantum field/string theory would do well to read these volumes as well.

Deserving, in my opinion, more than 5 stars -- many more!!

Definitely for mathematicians only
This book is an excellent compliation of articles written formathematicians who want to understand quantum field theory. It is notsurprising then that the articles are very formal and there is no attemptto give any physical intuition to the subject of quantum field theory. Thisdoes not mean however that aspiring physicists who want to specialize inquantum field theory should ont take a look at the contents. The twovolumes are worth reading, even if every article cannot be read because oftime constraints. All of the articles are written by the some of the majorplayers in the mathematics of quantum field theory.Volume 1 starts offwith a glossary of the terms used by physicists in quantum field theory andis nicely written. The next few hundred pages are devoted to supersymmetryand supermanifolds. A very abstract approach is given to these areas, withthe emphasis not on computation but on the structure of supermanifolds asthey would be studied mathematically. There is an article on classicalfield theory put in these pages, which is written by Pierre Deligne andDaniel Freed, and discussed in the framework of fiber bundles. Thediscussion of topological terms in the classical Lagrangian is especiallywell written. There is an introduction to smooth Deligne cohomology in thisarticle, and this is nice because of the difficulty in findingunderstandable literature on this subject.Part Two of Volume 1 isdevoted to the formal mathematical aspects of quantum field theory. After ashort introduction to canonical quantization, the Wightman approach isdiscussed in an article by David Kazhdan. Most refreshing is that statementof Kazhdan that the Wightman approach does not work for gauge fieldtheories. This article is packed with interesting insights, especially thesection on scattering theory, wherein Kazdan explains how the constructionsin scattering theory have no finite dimensional analogs. The article byWitten on the Dirac operator in finite dimensions is fascinating and a goodintroduction to how powerful concepts from quantum field theory can be usedto prove important results in mathematics. A fairly large collection ofproblems (with solutions) ends Volume 1.The first part of Volume 2 isdevoted entirely to the mathematics of string theory and conformal fieldtheory. The article by D'Hoker stands out as one that is especiallyreadable and informative. D. Gaitsgory has a well written article on vertexalgebras and defines in a very rigorous manner the constructions that occurin the subject. The last part of Volume 2 discusses the dynamics ofquantum field theory and uses as much mathematical rigor as possible. Onegets the impression that it this is the area where it is most difficult toproceed in an entirely rigorous way. Path integrals, not yet definedmathematically and used throughout the discussion. The best article inVolume 2, indeed of the entire two volumes is the one on N = 2 Yang-Millstheory in four dimensions. It is here that the most fascinatingconstructions in all of mathematics find their place.These two volumesare definitely worth having on one's shelf, and the price is veryreasonable considering the expertise of the authors and considering whatone will take away after reading them. ... Read more

Product Description
Based on a highly regarded lecture course at Moscow State University, this is a clear and systematic introduction to gauge field theory. It is unique in providing the means to master gauge field theory prior to the advanced study of quantum mechanics. Though gauge field theory is typically included in courses on quantum field theory, many of its ideas and results can be understood at the classical or semi-classical level. Accordingly, this book is organized so that its early chapters require no special knowledge of quantum mechanics. Aspects of gauge field theory relying on quantum mechanics are introduced only later and in a graduated fashion--making the text ideal for students studying gauge field theory and quantum mechanics simultaneously.

The book begins with the basic concepts on which gauge field theory is built. It introduces gauge-invariant Lagrangians and describes the spectra of linear perturbations, including perturbations above nontrivial ground states. The second part focuses on the construction and interpretation of classical solutions that exist entirely due to the nonlinearity of field equations: solitons, bounces, instantons, and sphalerons. The third section considers some of the interesting effects that appear due to interactions of fermions with topological scalar and gauge fields. Mathematical digressions and numerous problems are included throughout. An appendix sketches the role of instantons as saddle points of Euclidean functional integral and related topics.

Perfectly suited as an advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate text, this book is an excellent starting point for anyone seeking to understand gauge fields. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent book on gauge theory
This work, which is not so well-known, gives a good
introduction in gauge field theory. Starting from scalar
fields quickly more advanced subjects such as magnetic monopoles, the higgs mechanism and spontaneous symmetry breaking are discussed.
The work contains nice overviews of the mathematics of Lie groups and Lie algebras and has a number of useful exercises.

This book is a gem!
If you are reading this review you are probably familiar with field theory and learned it in a quantum field theory class or book. If not go ahead and read THIS book, it is a must BEFORE a QFT a class. I wish I had it a few years ago, I would learn QFT much easier. Still it clarified a lot of things and recommended for every theoretical physics student. You will at least recognize what is related to quantum aspects and what is not. ... Read more

Product Description
What is wavefunction and how does it relate to quantum physics? Many think that quantum physics is subjective reality because they do not know what wavefunction is. In this groundbreaking work, Dan Santos bridges that gap of understanding.

In The Hidden Variables of the Atomic World: The New Quantum Field Theory, this electrical engineer asserts that not only is wavefunction a beacon that shows us all the information we need to know about the atom, but it also demonstrates the unification of physical theories that are sanctified as the stalwart foundation of quantum mechanics. Writing for those who are literate in math and physics, Santos explains his concepts in a concise organized manner as he uses mathematical equations to explore every step of his concepts and take the reader on a fascinating journey into the realm of quantum mechanics and wavefunction.

If this new concept is widely accepted, it could lead to a better understanding of scientific discoveries and newer advanced technologies as it betters our lives in this world. ... Read more

Product Description

This volume offers an introduction, in the form of four extensive lectures, to some recent developments in several active topics at the interface between geometry, topology and quantum field theory. The first lecture is by Christine Lescop on knot invariants and configuration spaces, in which a universal finite-type invariant for knots is constructed as a series of integrals over configuration spaces. This is followed by the contribution of Raimar Wulkenhaar on Euclidean quantum field theory from a statistical point of view. The author also discusses possible renormalization techniques on noncommutative spaces. The third lecture is by Anamaria Font and Stefan Theisen on string compactification with unbroken supersymmetry. The authors show that this requirement leads to internal spaces of special holonomy and describe Calabi-Yau manifolds in detail. The last lecture, by Thierry Fack, is devoted to a K-theory proof of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem and discusses some applications of K-theory to noncommutative geometry. These lectures notes, which are aimed in particular at graduate students in physics and mathematics, start with introductory material before presenting more advanced results. Each chapter is self-contained and can be read independently.

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Quantum field theory (QFT) combines quantum mechanics with Einstein's special theory of relativity and underlies elementary particle physics. This book presents a philosophical analysis of QFT.It is the first treatise in which the philosophies of space-time, quantum phenomena, and particle interactions are encompassed in a unified framework. Describing the physics in nontechnical terms, and schematically illustrating complex ideas, the book also serves as an introduction to fundamental physical theories.The philosophical interpretation both upholds the reality of the quantum world and acknowledges the irreducible cognitive elements in its representation.The interpretation is based on an analysis of our ways of thinking as the are embedded in the logical structure of QFT.The author argues that philosophical categories are significant only if they play active and essential roles in our knowledge and hence constitute part of the theories in actual use. Thus she regards physical theories as primary, extracts their categorical structure, and uses it to rethink key philosophical questions.Among the questions this book tries to answer are: What are the quantum properties independent of measurements?How do we refer to individual things in a continuous field?How do theories relate to objects?What are the general conditions of the world and of our ways of thinking that make possible our knowledge of the microscopic realm, which is so intangible and counterintuitive? As a penetrating analysis of vital themes in contemporary science, the book will engage the interest of students and professionals in physics and philosophy alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Some good ideas, but mostly unreadable
This book contains some good ideas, but large parts of it are too hard for me to get anything out of, both due to an assumption that the reader knows a good deal about quantum mechanics and due to a style which probably requires rereading most parts multiple times in order to decipher even those parts which don't require an understanding of quantum mechanics.
I was impressed by her explanation of how we should understand the uncertainty of position and momentum measurements. She says the quantum entities have genuine deterministic properties, but we shouldn't try to think of position and momentum as properties of any persistent entities. They are properties associated with specific measurements. The properties of persistent entities such as atoms are mostly stranger than what we can measure, and measurements only give us indirect evidence of those properties.
Her descriptions of coordinate systems used in quantum physics seem inconsistent with the impressions I got from Smolin's Trouble with Physics. Smolin implies (but doesn't clearly state) that quantum theory retains Newtonian background dependent coordinates. Auyang's descriptions of quantum coordinate systems seem very different. It's clear that I've only scratched the surface of what's needed to understand these issues.

Interesting subject - impossible to read.
It seems the author has deliberately chosen obscure terms to convey her thoughts.This book may suit an extremely narrow subset of readers, perhaps only those who are research scientists.
Selecting one line at random, as an example - 'The austere logical structures of many epistemological theories do not allow analysis of the concept of emperical objects'.end quote.
While the author may be a qualified scientist, I found her method of expressing ideas more likely to confuse than enlighten.
The title is brilliant;The subject matter has the potential for very wide appeal - opportunity lost by incomprehensible delivery.

A refreshing alternative to the usual philosophical doctrine
This book, very insightful into the intricacies of quantum field theory, is not based on what one might call the "standard assumption" of the philosophy of science, namely that science has an underlying foundation, that it is in a sense a derived collection of knowledge that needs "justification" philosophically. Indeed, the usual attitude in the philosophy of science is that a theory is only "possible" if its formalism is laid bare and shown to satisfy some essential philosophical assumptions. The predictions of a theory are not by themselves its justification, as this would presuppose too much of a "commonsense" attitude, and such an attitude is eschewed by philosophers of science.

But of course there is another outlook on science that is not held by any of the modern doctrines in the philosophy of science. This is one in which science is not assumed to need an underlying philosophical justification, that it is its own justification, and the goal of philosophy should be in discovering what this assumption says about philosophy. For example, what theories of mind and reality are entailed by quantum field theory? Do the invariance principles used in quantum field theory say anything about epistemology? Quantum field theory is rich in concepts and uses very sophisticated mathematical constructions, and it has, via the ingenuity of experimentalists, resulted in real predictions that are as of yet unrivaled by any other physical theory. Can one build an interesting philosophical structure, complete with a metaphysics and a nontrivial epistemology, using the assumptions and structure of quantum field theory?

In large measure, the author of this book does take this approach, and she is clearly not attempting to justify quantum field theory from the standpoint of the standard assumption. This is a unique and refreshing approach, and the book is a highly interesting one, as one can gain, as a bare minimum, a siginificant amount of understanding into the subtleties of quantum field theory. In addition, the analysis that the author has given is a positive one for quantum field theory. She assumes the existence of what could be characterized as 'epistemic fixed points' (my words here) in our ability to categorize phenomena in the microrealm. Also, she argues,a philosophical foundation for quantum field theory must deal with their success in actual practice. The author assumes from the start that quantum field theory gives us knowledge of the microrealm, and answers to the questions of the meaning of objects in this realm can be found within the theory of quantum fields itself. And, even more refreshing, she states that quantum field theory still requires the assistance of common sense, in order to apply the theory and derive meaning from experimental data.

The author has indeed done a fine job here, and has given the scientific and philosophical community a book that is an alternative to the usual philosophical standards. She describes and justifies a reality that humans can indeed understand via the framework of quantum field theory. This understanding takes place with concepts and constructions that might at first seem alien from a 'classical' perspective, but when one puts on the right epistemic glasses, things become clearer and the seemingly odd behavior in the microrealm becomes very natural and philosophically sound.

A good but difficult book.
This book is intended to people who already have some knowledge of quantum field theory (QFT), at least in a qualitative level. Someone who has never read or listened anything about the matter will have serious difficults to follow the ideas contained in the book. A previous knowledge of philosophy is not so necessary but maybe desirable because it is exhaustively discuted and, in general, the required concepts are explained inside the text. However, the text begins to become more and more complicated and, sometimes, boring as the philosophical discussions, which englobe Kant, Humes, Leibnitz and others, become deeper.The book will interest people who wants to study the philosophy of QFT, but do not expect to acquire mathematical or technical knowledge about the matter except for some good appendices that try to explain in a relatively simple way things as fiber bundles and probability measures. In summary, it is neither a technical book in QFT nor a book for the public in general, it is a primary serious attempt to fit QFT in a philosophical framework. It is worth to read, but only if you are prepared for a very difficult task.. ... Read more

Product Description
Four forces are dominant in physics: gravity, electromagnetism and the weak and strong nuclear forces. Quantum electrodynamics - the highly successful theory of the electromagnetic interaction - is a gauge field theory, and it is now believed that the weak and strong forces also can be described by generalizations of this type of theory. In this short book Dr Aitchison gives an introduction to these theories, a knowledge of which is essential in understanding modern particle physics. With the assumption that the reader is already familiar with the rudiments of quantum field theory and Feynman graphs, his aim has been to provide a coherent, self-contained and yet elementary account of the theoretical principles and physical ideas behind gauge field theories. ... Read more

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Operational Quantum Theory II is a distinguished work on quantum theory at an advanced algebraic level. Quantum theory (nonrelativistic quantum mechanics and quantum theory) is developed from a representation theory of lie group and lie algebraic operations acting on both finite and infinite dimensional vector spaces. This book deals with Lorentz Group Embedding and Lorentz Operations, eseigenvalues and invariats for non-compact operations as well as harmonic analysis of noncompact nonabelian Lie groups and their homogenus spaces. Additionally, an attempt is given to understand quantum theory as a representation structure of a homogeneous spacetime model.

Operational Quantum Theory II aims to understand more deeply on an operational basis what is already known and current developments in quantum theory, but also suggests new solutions to previously unsolved problems.

Product Description
This introduction to the theory of quantum fields in curved spacetime, intended for mathematicians, arose from a course taught to graduate students and is designed for self-study or advanced courses in relativity and quantum field theory. The style is informal and some knowledge of general relativity and differential geometry is assumed, yet the author does supply background material on function analysis and quantum field theory as required.Physicists should also gain a sound grasp of various aspects of the theory, some of which have not been particularly emphasized in the existing review literature. ... Read more

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The fields of algebraic functions of one variable appear in several areas of mathematics: complex analysis, algebraic geometry, and number theory. This text adopts the latter perspective by applying an arithmetic-algebraic viewpoint to the study of function fields as part of the algebraic theory of numbers, where a function field of one variable is the analogue of a finite extension of Q, the field of rational numbers. The author does not ignore the geometric-analytic aspects of function fields, but leaves an in-depth examination from this perspective to others.

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Conformal field theory is an elegant and powerful theory inthe field of high energy physics and statistics. In fact, it can besaid to be one of the greatest achievements in the development of thisfield. Presented in two dimensions, this book is designed for studentswho already have a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics, field theoryand general relativity. The main idea used throughout the book is thatconformal symmetry causes both classical and quantumintegrability. Instead of concentrating on the numerous applicationsof the theory, the author puts forward a discussion of the generalmethods of conformal field theory as a physical theory. Hence the bookprovides in a self-contained way the necessary knowledge and"conformal" intuition which underline the various applications ofconformal field theory. It is aimed to assist students andprofessionals in the study of the theory from its first principles andin applying the methods in their own research. The first of its kind,this book promises to give a detailed and comprehensive insight intothe workings of conformal field theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a reference on CFT
Ketov's CFT is a very concise review of CFT and its applications to string theory and statistical mechanics. It is written well, although some effort has to be put into it to grasp all topics; more effort than with the book by di Francesco et al.. The book is nearly self-contained and might serve as a reference on CFT with some interesting examples. Each chapter provides some problems (mainly within the text) that are generally intended to do the steps between derivations. It is comparable to di Francesco's book, but on some topics they complement each other, where di Francesco presents the subjects slightly more detailed. Ketov's presentation is somewhat more mathematically oriented than di Francesco's. All in all, a very useful book on CFT for graduates. ... Read more

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"Springer has just released the second edition of Steven Roman’s Field Theory, and it continues to be one of the best graduate-level introductions to the subject out there....Every section of the book has a number of good exercises that would make this book excellent to use either as a textbook or to learn the material on your own. All in all...a well-written expository account of a very exciting area in mathematics." --THE MAA MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES DIGITAL LIBRARY

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This monograph deals with the geometrical and topological aspects related to quantum field theory with special reference to the electroweak theory and skyrmions. This book is unique in its emphasis on the topological aspects of a fermion manifested through chiral anomaly which is responsible for the generation of mass. This has its relevance in electroweak theory where it is observed that weak interaction gauge bosons attain mass topologically. These geometrical and topological features help us to consider a massive fermion as a skyrmion and for a composite state we can realise the internal symmetry of hadrons from reflection group. Also, an overview of noncommutative geometry has been presented and it is observed that the manifold M 4 x Z2 has its relevance in the description of a massive fermion as skyrmion when the discrete space is considered as the internal space and the symmetry breaking gives rise to chiral anomaly leading to topological features.
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A.M. Polyakov, one of the world's foremost leaders on the subject of field theory, has created a book from his own scientific diary, synthesizing the most promising approaches and ideals in field theory today. Polyakov presents such subjects as statistical mechanics, quantum field theory and their interrelation, continuous global symmetry, non-Abelian gauge fields, instantons and the quantum theory of loops, and quantum strings and random surfaces. This book is ideally suited for postgraduate students studying field theory and statistical mechanics and for research workers in continuous global theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

From Ising To Gauge Fields andStrings
This book manifests the author's unique perspective on physics.
The author claims that the profound aspect of quantum gauge fields is that they can almost be regarded as the theory of strings. These strings are in essence the Faraday flux lines.
The deeper understanding of quantum physics involving gauge fields demands the study of dynamics of quantum strings.
Quantum strings turn out to produce the graviton thus can
give a theory of quantum gravity.
Theseare all pioneered by the author for past three decades and
neatly explained in this book. ... Read more