Maggiore (physics, U. of Geneva) has compiled and systematized notes for his two-semester advanced undergraduate course introducing quantum field theory. In addition to explaining how to compute cross-sections and decay rates in particle physics, as most such textbooks do, he highlights the power and variety of the theory's methods and ideas, and how they can be applied to domains as different as particle physics, cosmology, condensed matter, statistical mechanics, and critical phenomena. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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.