In this third volume of his modern introduction to quantum field theory, Eberhard Zeidler examines the mathematical and physical aspects of gauge theory as a principle tool for describing the four fundamental forces which act in the universe: gravitative, electromagnetic, weak interaction and strong interaction. Volume III concentrates on the classical aspects of gauge theory, describing the four fundamental forces by the curvature of appropriate fiber bundles. This must be supplemented by the crucial, but elusive quantization procedure. The book is arranged in four sections, devoted to realizing the universal principle force equals curvature: Part I: The Euclidean Manifold as a Paradigm Part II: Ariadne's Thread in Gauge Theory Part III: Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity Part IV: Ariadne's Thread in Cohomology For students of mathematics the book is designed to demonstrate that detailed knowledge of the physical background helps to reveal interesting interrelationships among diverse mathematical topics. Physics students will be exposed to a fairly advanced mathematics, beyond the level covered in the typical physics curriculum. Quantum Field Theory builds a bridge between mathematicians and physicists, based on challenging questions about the fundamental forces in the universe (macrocosmos), and in the world of elementary particles (microcosmos).

In this third volume of his modern introduction to quantum field theory, Eberhard Zeidler examines the mathematical and physical aspects of gauge theory as a principle tool for describing the four fundamental forces which act in the universe: gravitative, electromagnetic, weak interaction and strong interaction. Volume III concentrates on the classical aspects of gauge theory, describing the four fundamental forces by the curvature of appropriate fiber bundles. This must be supplemented by the crucial, but elusive quantization procedure. The book is arranged in four sections, devoted to realizing the universal principle force equals curvature: Part I: The Euclidean Manifold as a Paradigm Part II: Ariadne's Thread in Gauge Theory Part III: Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity Part IV: Ariadne's Thread in Cohomology For students of mathematics the book is designed to demonstrate that detailed knowledge of the physical background helps to reveal interesting interrelationships among diverse mathematical topics. Physics students will be exposed to a fairly advanced mathematics, beyond the level covered in the typical physics curriculum. Quantum Field Theory builds a bridge between mathematicians and physicists, based on challenging questions about the fundamental forces in the universe (macrocosmos), and in the world of elementary particles (microcosmos).

Acquaints readers with the main concepts and literature of elementary particle physics and quantum field theory. In particular, the book is concerned with the elaboration of gauge field theories in nuclear physics; the possibility of creating fundamental new states of matter such as an extended quark-gluon plasma in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions; and the relation of gauge theories to the creation and evolution of the universe. Divided into three parts, it opens with an introduction to the general principles of relativistic quantum field theory followed by the essential ingredients of gauge fields for weak and electromagnetic interactions, quantum chromodynamics and strong interactions. The third part is concerned with the interface between modern elementary particle physics and "applied disciplines" such as nuclear physics, astrophysics and cosmology. Includes references and numerous exercises.

Introduction to Gauge Field Theory provides comprehensive coverage of modern relativistic quantum field theory, emphasizing the details of actual calculations rather than the phenomenology of the applications. Forming a foundation in the subject, the book assumes knowledge of relativistic quantum mechanics, but not of quantum field theory. The book is ideal for graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and researchers in the field of particle physics.

The importance of gauge theory for elementary particle physics is by now firmly established. Recent experiments have yielded convincing evidence for the existence of intermediate bosons, the carriers of the electroweak gauge force, as well as for the presence of gluons, the carriers of the strong gauge force, in hadronic interactions. For the gauge theory of strong interactions, however, a number of important theoretical problems remain to be definitely resolved. They include the quark confinement problem, the quantitative study of the hadron mass spectrum as well as the role of topology in quantum gauge field theory. These problems require for their solution the development and application of non-perturbative methods in quantum gauge field theory. These problems, and their non-perturbative analysis, formed the central interest of the 1983 Cargese summer institute on "Progress in Gauge Field Theory. " In this sense it was a natural sequel to the 1919 Cargese summer institute on "Recent Developments in Gauge Theories. " Lattice gauge theory provides a systematic framework for the investigation of non-perturbative quantum effects. Accordingly, a large number of lectures dealt with lattice gauge theory. Following a systematic introduction to the subject, the renormalization group method was developed both as a rigorous tool for fundamental questions, and in the block-spin formulation, the computations by Monte Carlo programs. A detailed analysis was presented of the problems encountered in computer simulations. Results obtained by this method on the mass spectrum were reviewed.

This is the second volume of the third edition of a successful text, now substantially enlarged and updated to reflect developments over the last decade in the curricula of university courses and in particle physics research. Volume I covered relativistic quantum mechanics, electromagnetism as a gauge theory, and introductory quantum field theory, and ended with the formulation and application of quantum electrodynamics (QED), including renormalization. Building on these foundations, this second volume provides a complete, accessible, and self-contained introduction to the remaining two gauge theories of the standard model of particle physics: quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and the electroweak theory. The treatment significantly extends that of the second edition in several important respects. Simple ideas of group theory are now incorporated into the discussion of non-Abelian symmetries. Two new chapters have been added on QCD, one devoted to the renormalization group and scaling violations in deep inelastic scattering and the other to non-perturbative aspects of QCD using the lattice (path-integral) formulation of quantum field theory; the latter is also used to illuminate various aspects of renormalization theory, via analogies with condensed matter systems. Three chapters treat the fundamental topic of spontaneous symmetry breaking: the (Bogoliubov) superfluid and the (BCS) superconductor are studied in some detail; one chapter is devoted to the implications of global chiral symmetry breaking in QCD; and one to the breaking of local SU(2)xU(1) symmetry in the electroweak theory. Weak interaction phenomenology is extended to include discussion of discrete symmetries and of the possibility that neutrinos are Majorana (rather than Dirac) particles. Most of these topics are normally found only in more advanced texts, and this is the first book to treat them in a manner accessible to the wide readership that the previous editions have attracted.

This is the first volume of a modern introduction to quantum field theory which addresses both mathematicians and physicists, at levels ranging from advanced undergraduate students to professional scientists. The book bridges the acknowledged gap between the different languages used by mathematicians and physicists. For students of mathematics the author shows 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 goes beyond the usual curriculum in physics.

In recent years, gauge fields have attracted much attention in elementary par ticle physics. The reason is that great progress has been achieved in solving a number of important problems of field theory and elementary particle physics by means of the quantum theory of gauge fields. This refers, in particular, to constructing unified gauge models and theory of strong interactions between the elementary particles. This book expounds the fundamentals of the quantum theory of gauge fields and its application for constructing unified gauge models and the theory of strong interactions. In writing the book, the authors' aim was three-fold: firstly, to outline the basic ideas underlying the unified gauge models and the theory of strong inter actions; secondly, to discuss the major unified gauge models, the theory of strong interactions and their experimental implications; and, thirdly, to acquaint the reader with a rather special mathematical approach (path-in tegral method) which has proved to be well suited for constructing the quantum theory of gauge fields. Gauge fields are a vigorously developing area. In this book, we have select ed for presentation the more or less traditional and commonly accepted mate rial. There also exist a number of different approaches which are presently being developed. The most important of them are touched upon in the Conclusion.

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.