Quantum Field Theory - From Operators to Path Integrals

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.

Die neue Auflage des für seinen allgemeinen, praxisnahen Ansatz gelobten Lehrbuchs ist gründlich überarbeitet und erweitert. In sich abgeschlossene und deshalb gut einzeln lesbare Kapitel entwickeln zunächst die traditionellen Konzepte wie Feynman-Graphen und behandeln dann zentrale Themen wie Funktionalintegrale, statistische Mechanik sowie die Wilson-Renormierung. Aufgrund des raschen Fortschritts und der wachsenden Bedeutung von Systemen mit niedrigen Dimensionen befasst sich diese zweite Auflage insbesondere auch mit eindimensionalen Leitern und ähnlichen Systemen. Neue Übungsaufgaben (mit Lösungen) sind hinzugekommen.

Inhaltsverzeichnis:

1. Introducing Quantum Fields
2. Scalar Fields
3. Relativistic Fields
4. Canonical Formalism
5. Electromagnetic Field
6. Dirac Equation
7. The Dirac Field
8. Dynamics of Interacting Fields
9. Feynman Graphs
10. Vacuum Correlation Functions
11. Quantum Electrodynamics
12. Processes in Quantum Electrodynamics
13. Perturbative Renormalization
14. Path Integrals
15. Broken Symmetry
16. Renormalization
17. The Gaussian Fixed Point
18. In Two Dimensions
19. Topological Excitations
Appendix A. Background Material
Appendix B. Superfluidity
Appendix C. Polchinski's Renormalization Equation