What Is a Quantum Field Theory?

What Is a Quantum Field Theory? PDF Author: Michel Talagrand
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316510271
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 759

Get Book Here

Book Description
A lively and erudite introduction for readers with a background in undergraduate mathematics but no previous knowledge of physics.

Quantum Groups, Quantum Categories and Quantum Field Theory

Quantum Groups, Quantum Categories and Quantum Field Theory PDF Author: Jürg Fröhlich
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3540476113
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 438

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book reviews recent results on low-dimensional quantum field theories and their connection with quantum group theory and the theory of braided, balanced tensor categories. It presents detailed, mathematically precise introductions to these subjects and then continues with new results. Among the main results are a detailed analysis of the representation theory of U (sl ), for q a primitive root of unity, and a semi-simple quotient thereof, a classfication of braided tensor categories generated by an object of q-dimension less than two, and an application of these results to the theory of sectors in algebraic quantum field theory. This clarifies the notion of "quantized symmetries" in quantum fieldtheory. The reader is expected to be familiar with basic notions and resultsin algebra. The book is intended for research mathematicians, mathematical physicists and graduate students.

What Is a Quantum Field Theory?

What Is a Quantum Field Theory? PDF Author: Michel Talagrand
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316510271
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 759

Get Book Here

Book Description
A lively and erudite introduction for readers with a background in undergraduate mathematics but no previous knowledge of physics.

Introduction to Classical and Quantum Field Theory

Introduction to Classical and Quantum Field Theory PDF Author: Tai-Kai Ng
Publisher: Wiley-VCH
ISBN: 9783527407262
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book Here

Book Description
This is the first introductory textbook on quantum field theory to be written from the point of view of condensed matter physics. As such, it presents the basic concepts and techniques of statistical field theory, clearly explaining how and why they are integrated into modern (and classical) field theory, and includes the latest developments. Written by an expert in the field, with a broad experience in teaching and training, it manages to present such substantial topics as phases and phase transitions or solitons and instantons in an accessible and concise way. Divided into two parts, the first covers fundamental physics and the mathematics background needed by students in order to enter the field, while the second part discusses applications of quantum field theory to a few basic problems. The emphasis here lies on how modern concepts of quantum field theory are embedded in these approaches, and also on the limitations of standard quantum field theory techniques in facing 'real' physics problems. Throughout, there are numerous end-of-chapter problems, and a free solutions manual is available for lecturers.

Nonperturbative Quantum Field Theory

Nonperturbative Quantum Field Theory PDF Author: G. Hooft
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461307295
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 603

Get Book Here

Book Description
During the past 15 years, quantum field theory and classical statistical mechanics have merged into a single field, and the need for nonperturbative methods for the description of critical phenomena in statistical mechanics as well as for problems in elementary particle physics are generally acknowledged. Such methods formed the central theme of the 1987 Cargese Advanced Study Institut. e on "Nonpert. urbat. ive Quantum Field Theory." The use of conformal symmet. ry has been of central interest in recent years, and was a main subject at. t. he ASI. Conformal invariant quantum field theory describes statistical mechanical systems exactly at a critical point, and can be analysed to a remarkable ext. ent. by group t. heoretical methods. Very strong results have been obtained for 2-dimensional systems. Conformal field theory is also the basis of string theory, which offers some hope of providing a unified t. heory of all interactions between elementary particles. Accordingly, a number of lectures and seminars were presented on these two topics. After syst. ematic introductory lectures, conformal field theory on Riemann surfaces, orbifolds, sigma models, and application of loop group theory and Grassmannians were discussed, and some ideas on modular geometry were presented. Other lectures combined' traditional techniques of constructive quant. um field theory with new methods such as the use of index-t. heorems and infinite dimensional (Kac Moody) symmetry groups. The problems encountered in a quantum mechanical description of black holes were discussed in detail.

Quantum Groups, Quantum Categories and Quantum Field Theory

Quantum Groups, Quantum Categories and Quantum Field Theory PDF Author: Jurg Frohlich
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783662185827
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 440

Get Book Here

Book Description


Dirichlet Branes and Mirror Symmetry

Dirichlet Branes and Mirror Symmetry PDF Author:
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
ISBN: 0821838482
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 698

Get Book Here

Book Description
Research in string theory has generated a rich interaction with algebraic geometry, with exciting work that includes the Strominger-Yau-Zaslow conjecture. This monograph builds on lectures at the 2002 Clay School on Geometry and String Theory that sought to bridge the gap between the languages of string theory and algebraic geometry.

Non-Semisimple Topological Quantum Field Theories for 3-Manifolds with Corners

Non-Semisimple Topological Quantum Field Theories for 3-Manifolds with Corners PDF Author: Thomas Kerler
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3540446257
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 381

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book presents the (to date) most general approach to combinatorial constructions of topological quantum field theories (TQFTs) in three dimensions. The authors describe extended TQFTs as double functors between two naturally defined double categories: one of topological nature, made of 3-manifolds with corners, the other of algebraic nature, made of linear categories, functors, vector spaces and maps. Atiyah's conventional notion of TQFTs as well as the notion of modular functor from axiomatic conformal field theory are unified in this concept. A large class of such extended modular catergory is constructed, assigning a double functor to every abelian modular category, which does not have to be semisimple.

Classifications of Quantum Field Theories

Classifications of Quantum Field Theories PDF Author: Lakshya Bhardwaj
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Field theory (Physics)
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Get Book Here

Book Description
We discuss classifications of UV complete supersymmetric theories in six dimensions, and (spin-)topological field theories admitting a finite global symmetry and possibly time-reversal symmetry in three dimensions. We also discuss a generalization of finite global symmetries and their gauging in two dimensions. First, we start with LSTs which are UV complete non-local 6D theories decoupled from gravity in which there is an intrinsic string scale. We present a systematic approach to the construction of supersymmetric LSTs via the geometric phases of F-theory. Our central result is that all LSTs with more than one tensor multiplet are obtained by a mild extension of 6D superconformal field theories (SCFTs) in which the theory is supplemented by an additional, non-dynamical tensor multiplet, analogous to adding an affine node to an ADE quiver, resulting in a negative semidefinite Dirac pairing. We also show that all 6D SCFTs naturally embed in an LST. Motivated by physical considerations, we show that in geometries where we can verify the presence of two elliptic fibrations, exchanging the roles of these fibrations amounts to T-duality in the 6D theory compactified on a circle. Second, we study the interpretation of O7$_+$-planes in F-theory, mainly in the context of the six dimensional models. In particular, we study how to assign gauge algebras and matter contents to seven-branes and their intersections, and the implication of anomaly cancellation in our construction, generalizing earlier analyses without any O7$_+$-planes. By including O7$_+$-planes we can realize 6d superconformal field theories hitherto unobtainable in F-theory, such as those with hypermultiplets in the symmetric representation of special unitary gauge algebra. We also examine a couple of compact models. These reproduce some famous perturbative models, and in some cases enhance their gauge symmetries non-perturbatively. Third, we argue that it is possible to describe fermionic phases of matter and spin-topological field theories in 2+1d in terms of bosonic "shadow" theories, which are obtained from the original theory by "gauging fermionic parity". The fermionic/spin theories are recovered from their shadow by a process of fermionic anyon condensation: gauging a one-form symmetry generated by quasi-particles with fermionic statistics. We apply the formalism to theories which admit gapped boundary conditions. We obtain Turaev-Viro-like and Levin-Wen-like constructions of fermionic phases of matter. We describe the group structure of fermionic SPT phases protected by the product of fermion parity and internal symmetry G. The quaternion group makes a surprise appearance. Fourth, we generalize two facts about oriented 3d TFTs to the unoriented case. On one hand, it is known that oriented 3d TFTs having a topological boundary condition admit a state-sum construction known as the Turaev-Viro construction. This is related to the string-net construction of fermionic phases of matter. We show how Turaev-Viro construction can be generalized to unoriented 3d TFTs. On the other hand, it is known that the "fermionic" versions of oriented TFTs, known as Spin-TFTs, can be constructed in terms of "shadow" TFTs which are ordinary oriented TFTs with an anomalous $\mathbb{Z}_2$ 1-form symmetry. We generalize this correspondence to Pin$^+$-TFTs by showing that they can be constructed in terms of ordinary unoriented TFTs with anomalous $\mathbb{Z}_2$ 1-form symmetry having a mixed anomaly with time-reversal symmetry. The corresponding Pin$^+$-TFT does not have any anomaly for time-reversal symmetry however and hence it can be unambiguously defined on a non-orientable manifold. In case a Pin$^+$-TFT admits a topological boundary condition, one can combine the above two statements to obtain a Turaev-Viro-like construction of Pin$^+$-TFTs. As an application of these ideas, we construct a large class of Pin$^+$-SPT phases. Finally, we recall that it is well-known that if we gauge a $\mathbb{Z}_n$ symmetry in two dimensions, a dual $\mathbb{Z}_n$ symmetry appears, such that re-gauging this dual $\mathbb{Z}_n$ symmetry leads back to the original theory. We describe how this can be generalized to non-Abelian groups, by enlarging the concept of symmetries from those defined by groups to those defined by unitary fusion categories. We will see that this generalization is also useful when studying what happens when a non-anomalous subgroup of an anomalous finite group is gauged: for example, the gauged theory can have non-Abelian group symmetry even when the original symmetry is an Abelian group. We then discuss the axiomatization of two-dimensional topological quantum field theories whose symmetry is given by a category. We see explicitly that the gauged version is a topological quantum field theory with a new symmetry given by a dual category.

Quantum Field Theory

Quantum Field Theory PDF Author: Franz Mandl
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 378

Get Book Here

Book Description
Quantum Field Theory Revised Edition F. Mandl and G. Shaw, Department of Theoretical Physics, The Schuster Laboratory, The University, Manchester, UK When this book first appeared in 1984, only a handful of W?? and Z? bosons had been observed and the experimental investigation of high energy electro-weak interactions was in its infancy. Nowadays, W?? bosons and especially Z? bosons can be produced by the thousand and the study of their properties is a precise science. We have revised the text of the later chapters to incorporate these developments and discuss their implications. We have also taken this opportunity to update the references throughout and to make some improvements in the treatment of dimen-sional regularization. Finally, we have corrected some minor errors and are grateful to various people for pointing these out. This book is designed as a short and simple introduction to quantum field theory for students beginning research in theoretical and experimental physics. The three main objectives are to explain the basic physics and formalism of quantum field theory, to make the reader fully proficient in theory calculations using Feynman diagrams, and to introduce the reader to gauge theories, which play such a central role in elementary particle physics. The theory is applied to quantum electrodynamics (QED), where quantum field theory had its early triumphs, and to weak interactions where the standard electro-weak theory has had many impressive successes. The treatment is based on the canonical quantization method, because readers will be familiar with this, because it brings out lucidly the connection between invariance and conservation laws, and because it leads directly to the Feynman diagram techniques which are so important in many branches of physics. In order to help inexperienced research students grasp the meaning of the theory and learn to handle it confidently, the mathematical formalism is developed from first principles, its physical interpretation is stressed at every point and its use is illustrated in detailed applications. After studying this book, the reader should be able to calculate any process in lowest order of perturbation theory for both QED and the standard electro-weak theory, and in addition, calculate lowest order radiative corrections in QED using the powerful technique of dimensional regularization. Contents: Preface; 1 Photons and electromagnetic field; 2 Lagrangian field theory; 3 The Klein--Gordon field; 4 The Dirac field; 5 Photons: covariant theory; 6 The S-matrix expansion; 7 Feynman diagrams and rules in QED; 8 QED processes in lowest order; 9 Radiative corrections; 10 Regularization; 11 Weak interactions; 13 Spontaneous symmetry breaking; 14 The standard electro-weak theory; Appendix A The Dirac equation; Appendix B Feynman rules and formulae for perturbation theory; Index.

Quantum Field Theory

Quantum Field Theory PDF Author: Bertfried Fauser
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 376438736X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 436

Get Book Here

Book Description
The present volume emerged from the 3rd `Blaubeuren Workshop: Recent Developments in Quantum Field Theory', held in July 2007 at the Max Planck Institute of Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig/Germany. All of the contributions are committed to the idea of this workshop series: To bring together outstanding experts working in the field of mathematics and physics to discuss in an open atmosphere the fundamental questions at the frontier of theoretical physics.