Quantum Field Theory Batalin Vilkovisky Formalism And Its Applications

This book originated from lecture notes for the course given by the author at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 2016. The aim of the book is to give an introduction to the perturbative path integral for gauge theories (in particular, topological field theories) in Batalin–Vilkovisky formalism and to some of its applications. The book is oriented toward a graduate mathematical audience and does not require any prior physics background. To elucidate the picture, the exposition is mostly focused on finite-dimensional models for gauge systems and path integrals, while giving comments on what has to be amended in the infinite-dimensional case relevant to local field theory. Motivating examples discussed in the book include Alexandrov–Kontsevich–Schwarz–Zaboronsky sigma models, the perturbative expansion for Chern–Simons invariants of 3-manifolds given in terms of integrals over configurations of points on the manifold, the BF theory on cellular decompositions of manifolds, and Kontsevich's deformation quantization formula.

This book provides an introduction to deformation quantization and its relation to quantum field theory, with a focus on the constructions of Kontsevich and Cattaneo & Felder. This subject originated from an attempt to understand the mathematical structure when passing from a commutative classical algebra of observables to a non-commutative quantum algebra of observables. Developing deformation quantization as a semi-classical limit of the expectation value for a certain observable with respect to a special sigma model, the book carefully describes the relationship between the involved algebraic and field-theoretic methods. The connection to quantum field theory leads to the study of important new field theories and to insights in other parts of mathematics such as symplectic and Poisson geometry, and integrable systems. Based on lectures given by the author at the University of Zurich, the book will be of interest to graduate students in mathematics or theoretical physics. Readers will be able to begin the first chapter after a basic course in Analysis, Linear Algebra and Topology, and references are provided for more advanced prerequisites.

The Quantum Theory of Fields, first published in 1996, is a self-contained, comprehensive introduction to quantum field theory from Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg. Volume II gives an account of the methods of quantum field theory, and how they have led to an understanding of the weak, strong, and electromagnetic interactions of the elementary particles. The presentation of modern mathematical methods is throughout interwoven with accounts of the problems of elementary particle physics and condensed matter physics to which they have been applied. Many topics are included that are not usually found in books on quantum field theory. The book is peppered with examples and insights from the author's experience as a leader of elementary particle physics. Exercises are included at the end of each chapter.

This volume contains the proceedings of the NSF-CBMS Regional Conference on Topological and Geometric Methods in QFT, held from July 31–August 4, 2017, at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. In recent decades, there has been a movement to axiomatize quantum field theory into a mathematical structure. In a different direction, one can ask to test these axiom systems against physics. Can they be used to rederive known facts about quantum theories or, better yet, be the framework in which to solve open problems? Recently, Freed and Hopkins have provided a solution to a classification problem in condensed matter theory, which is ultimately based on the field theory axioms of Graeme Segal. Papers contained in this volume amplify various aspects of the Freed–Hopkins program, develop some category theory, which lies behind the cobordism hypothesis, the major structure theorem for topological field theories, and relate to Costello's approach to perturbative quantum field theory. Two papers on the latter use this framework to recover fundamental results about some physical theories: two-dimensional sigma-models and the bosonic string. Perhaps it is surprising that such sparse axiom systems encode enough structure to prove important results in physics. These successes can be taken as encouragement that the axiom systems are at least on the right track toward articulating what a quantum field theory is.

Applications of quantum field theoretical methods to gravitational physics, both in the semiclassical and the full quantum frameworks, require a careful formulation of the fundamental basis of quantum theory, with special attention to such important issues as renormalization, quantum theory of gauge theories, and especially effective action formalism. The first part of this graduate textbook provides both a conceptual and technical introduction to the theory of quantum fields. The presentation is consistent, starting from elements of group theory, classical fields, and moving on to the effective action formalism in general gauge theories. Compared to other existing books, the general formalism of renormalization in described in more detail, and special attention paid to gauge theories. This part can serve as a textbook for a one-semester introductory course in quantum field theory. In the second part, we discuss basic aspects of quantum field theory in curved space, and perturbative quantum gravity. More than half of Part II is written with a full exposition of details, and includes elaborated examples of simplest calculations. All chapters include exercises ranging from very simple ones to those requiring small original investigations. The selection of material of the second part is done using the “must-know” principle. This means we included detailed expositions of relatively simple techniques and calculations, expecting that the interested reader will be able to learn more advanced issues independently after working through the basic material, and completing the exercises.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Nicolai Reshetikhin has made a number of groundbreaking contributions in several fields, including representation theory, integrable systems, and topology. The chapters in this volume – compiled on the occasion of his 60th birthday – are written by distinguished mathematicians and physicists and pay tribute to his many significant and lasting achievements. Covering the latest developments at the interface of noncommutative algebra, differential and algebraic geometry, and perspectives arising from physics, this volume explores topics such as the development of new and powerful knot invariants, new perspectives on enumerative geometry and string theory, and the introduction of cluster algebra and categorification techniques into a broad range of areas. Chapters will also cover novel applications of representation theory to random matrix theory, exactly solvable models in statistical mechanics, and integrable hierarchies. The recent progress in the mathematical and physicals aspects of deformation quantization and tensor categories is also addressed. Representation Theory, Mathematical Physics, and Integrable Systems will be of interest to a wide audience of mathematicians interested in these areas and the connections between them, ranging from graduate students to junior, mid-career, and senior researchers.

This book provides a largely self-contained and broadly accessible exposition on two cosmological applications of algebraic quantum field theory (QFT) in curved spacetime: a fundamental analysis of the cosmological evolution according to the Standard Model of Cosmology; and a fundamental study of the perturbations in inflation. The two central sections of the book dealing with these applications are preceded by sections providing a pedagogical introduction to the subject. Introductory material on the construction of linear QFTs on general curved spacetimes with and without gauge symmetry in the algebraic approach, physically meaningful quantum states on general curved spacetimes, and the backreaction of quantum fields in curved spacetimes via the semiclassical Einstein equation is also given. The reader should have a basic understanding of General Relativity and QFT on Minkowski spacetime, but no background in QFT on curved spacetimes or the algebraic approach to QFT is required.>