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.

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.

This volume is intended as a systematic introduction to gauge field theory for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in high energy physics. The discussion is restricted to the classical (non-quantum) theory in Minkowski spacetime. Particular attention has been given to conceptual aspects of field theory, accurate definitions of basic physical notions, and thorough analysis of exact solutions to the equations of motion for interacting systems.

Comprehensive graduate-level text by a distinguished theoretical physicist reveals the classical underpinnings of modern quantum field theory. Topics include space-time, Lorentz transformations, conservation laws, equations of motion, Green’s functions, and more. 1964 edition.

Contemporary quantum field theory is mainly developed as quantization of classical fields. Therefore, classical field theory and its BRST extension is the necessary step towards quantum field theory. This book aims to provide a complete mathematical foundation of Lagrangian classical field theory and its BRST extension for the purpose of quantization. Based on the standard geometric formulation of theory of nonlinear differential operators, Lagrangian field theory is treated in a very general setting. Reducible degenerate Lagrangian theories of even and odd fields on an arbitrary smooth manifold are considered. The second Noether theorems generalized to these theories and formulated in the homology terms provide the strict mathematical formulation of BRST extended classical field theory. The most physically relevant field theories OCo gauge theory on principal bundles, gravitation theory on natural bundles, theory of spinor fields and topological field theory OCo are presented in a complete way. This book is designed for theoreticians and mathematical physicists specializing in field theory. The authors have tried throughout to provide the necessary mathematical background, thus making the exposition self-contained.

Scheck’s successful textbook presents a comprehensive treatment, ideally suited for a one-semester course. The textbook describes Maxwell's equations first in their integral, directly testable form, then moves on to their local formulation. The first two chapters cover all essential properties of Maxwell's equations, including their symmetries and their covariance in a modern notation. Chapter 3 is devoted to Maxwell's theory as a classical field theory and to solutions of the wave equation. Chapter 4 deals with important applications of Maxwell's theory. It includes topical subjects such as metamaterials with negative refraction index and solutions of Helmholtz' equation in paraxial approximation relevant for the description of laser beams. Chapter 5 describes non-Abelian gauge theories from a classical, geometric point of view, in analogy to Maxwell's theory as a prototype, and culminates in an application to the U(2) theory relevant for electroweak interactions. The last chapter 6 gives a concise summary of semi-Riemannian geometry as the framework for the classical field theory of gravitation. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the Schwarzschild solution of Einstein's equations and the classical tests of general relativity. The new concept of this edition presents the content divided into two tracks: the fast track for master's students, providing the essentials, and the intensive track for all wanting to get in depth knowledge of the field. Cleary labeled material and sections guide students through the preferred level of treatment. Numerous problems and worked examples will provide successful access to Classical Field Theory.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Most appealing... technical accuracy and lightness of tone... Impeccable.”—Wall Street Journal “A porthole into another world.”—Scientific American “Brings science dissemination to a new level.”—Science The most trusted explainer of the most mind-boggling concepts pulls back the veil of mystery that has too long cloaked the most valuable building blocks of modern science. Sean Carroll, with his genius for making complex notions entertaining, presents in his uniquely lucid voice the fundamental ideas informing the modern physics of reality. Physics offers deep insights into the workings of the universe but those insights come in the form of equations that often look like gobbledygook. Sean Carroll shows that they are really like meaningful poems that can help us fly over sierras to discover a miraculous multidimensional landscape alive with radiant giants, warped space-time, and bewilderingly powerful forces. High school calculus is itself a centuries-old marvel as worthy of our gaze as the Mona Lisa. And it may come as a surprise the extent to which all our most cutting-edge ideas about black holes are built on the math calculus enables. No one else could so smoothly guide readers toward grasping the very equation Einstein used to describe his theory of general relativity. In the tradition of the legendary Richard Feynman lectures presented sixty years ago, this book is an inspiring, dazzling introduction to a way of seeing that will resonate across cultural and generational boundaries for many years to come.

In this book the authors develop and work out applications to gravity and gauge theories and their interactions with generic matter fields, including spinors in full detail. Spinor fields in particular appear to be the prototypes of truly gauge-natural objects, which are not purely gauge nor purely natural, so that they are a paradigmatic example of the intriguing relations between gauge natural geometry and physical phenomenology. In particular, the gauge natural framework for spinors is developed in this book in full detail, and it is shown to be fundamentally related to the interaction between fermions and dynamical tetrad gravity.

This book introduces a rapidly growing new research area — the study of dynamical properties of elementary fields. The methods used in this field range from algebraic topology to parallel computer programming. The main aim of this research is to understand the behavior of elementary particles and fields under extreme circumstances, first of all at high temperature and energy density generated in the largest accelerators of the world and supposed to be present in the early evolution of our Universe shortly after the Big Bang.In particular, chaos is rediscovered in a new appearance in these studies: in gauge theories the well-known divergence of initially adjacent phase space trajectories leads over into a quasi-thermal distribution of energy with a saturated average distance of different field configurations. This particular behavior is due to the compactness of the gauge group.Generally this book is divided into two main parts: the first part mainly deals with the “classical” discovery of chaos in gauge field theory while the second part presents methods and research achievements in recent years. One chapter is devoted entirely to the presentation and discussion of computational problems. The major theme, returning again and again throughout the book, is of course the phenomenon with a thousand faces — chaos itself.This book is intended to be a research book which introduces the reader to a new research field, presenting the basic new ideas in detail but just briefly touching on the problems of other related fields, like perturbative or lattice gauge theory, or dissipative chaos. The terminology of these related fields are, however, used.Exercises are also included in this book. They deepen the reader's understanding of special issues and at the same time offer more information on related problems. For the convenience of the fast reader, solutions are presented right after the problems.