Structural Aspects Of Quantum Field Theory And Noncommutative Geometry

The book is devoted to the subject of quantum field theory. It is divided into two volumes. The first volume can serve as a textbook on main techniques and results of quantum field theory, while the second treats more recent developments, in particular the subject of quantum groups and noncommutative geometry, and their interrelation.The second edition is extended by additional material, mostly concerning the impact of noncommutative geometry on theories beyond the standard model of particle physics, especially the possible role of torsion in the context of the dark matter problem. Furthermore, the text includes a discussion of the Randall-Sundrum model and the Seiberg-Witten equations.

'The book is primarily addressed to physicists. Nevertheless, as numerous examples are known in which exploration of the land where physics and mathematics overlap (and which quantum field theory definitely belongs to) resulted in important developments in mathematics, many mathematicians may also find this book interesting and even inspiring.'MathSciNetThis book is devoted to the subject of quantum field theory. It is divided into two volumes. The first can serve as a textbook on the main techniques and results of quantum field theory, while the second treats more recent developments, in particular the subject of quantum groups and noncommutative geometry, and their interrelation.The first volume is directed at graduate students who want to learn the basic facts about quantum field theory. It begins with a gentle introduction to classical field theory, including the standard model of particle physics, general relativity, and also supergravity. The transition to quantized fields is performed with path integral techniques, by means of which the one-loop renormalization of a self-interacting scalar quantum field, of quantum electrodynamics, and the asymptotic freedom of quantum chromodynamics is treated. In the last part of the first volume, the application of path integral methods to systems of quantum statistical mechanics is covered. The book ends with a rather detailed investigation of the fractional quantum Hall effect, and gives a stringent derivation of Laughlin's trial ground state wave function as an exact ground state.The second volume covers more advanced themes. In particular Connes' noncommutative geometry is dealt with in some considerable detail; the presentation attempts to acquaint the physics community with the substantial achievements that have been reached by means of this approach towards the understanding of the elusive Higgs particle. The book also covers the subject of quantum groups and its application to the fractional quantum Hall effect, as it is for this paradigmatic physical system that noncommutative geometry and quantum groups can be brought together.

A presentation of outstanding achievements and ideas, of both eastern and western scientists, both mathematicians and physicists. Their presentations of recent work on quantum field theory, supergravity, M-theory, black holes and quantum gravity, together with research into noncommutative geometry, Hopf algebras, representation theory, categories and quantum groups, take the reader to the forefront of the latest developments. Other topics covered include supergravity and branes, supersymmetric quantum mechanics and superparticles, (super) black holes, superalgebra representations, and SUSY GUT phenomenology. Essential reading for workers in the modern methods of theoretical and mathematical physics.

This book is devoted to the subject of quantum field theory. It is divided into two volumes. The first can serve as a textbook on the main techniques and results of quantum field theory, while the second treats more recent developments, in particular the subject of quantum groups and noncommutative geometry, and their interrelation. The first volume is directed at graduate students who want to learn the basic facts about quantum field theory. It begins with a gentle introduction to classical field theory, including the standard model of particle physics, general relativity, and also supergravity. The transition to quantized fields is performed with path integral techniques, by means of which the one-loop renormalization of a self-interacting scalar quantum field, of quantum electrodynamics, and the asymptotic freedom of quantum chromodynamics is treated. In the last part of the first volume, the application of path integral methods to systems of quantum statistical mechanics is covered. The book ends with a rather detailed investigation of the fractional quantum Hall effect, and gives a stringent derivation of Laughlin's trial ground state wave function as an exact ground state. The second volume covers more advanced themes. In particular Connes' noncommutative geometry is dealt with in some considerable detail; the presentation attempts to acquaint the physics community with the substantial achievements that have been reached by means of this approach towards the understanding of the elusive Higgs particle. The book also covers the subject of quantum groups and its application to the fractional quantum Hall effect, as it is for this paradigmatic physical system that noncommutative geometry and quantum groups can be brought together. Errata(s) Errata (78 KB) Contents:Volume 1:Classical Relativistic Field Theory: Kinematical AspectsClassical Relativistic Field Theory: Dynamical AspectsRelativistic Quantum Field Theory: Operator MethodsNonrelativistic Quantum Mechanics: Functional Integral MethodsRelativistic Quantum Field Theory: Functional Integral MethodsQuantum Field Theory at Nonzero TemperatureVolume 2:Symmetries and Canonical FormalismGauge Symmetries and Constrained SystemsWeyl QuantizationAnomalies in Quantum Field TheoryNoncommutative GeometryQuantum GroupsNoncommutative Geometry and Quantum Groups Readership: Graduate students and professionals in theoretical and mathematical physics. Keywords:Quantum Field Theory;Quantum Groups;Noncommutative Geometry;Path Integral Techniques;Quantum Electrodynamics;Quantum ChromodynamicsReviews: “This self-contained, comprehensive first volume presents a fundamental and careful introduction to quantum field theory. It will be welcomed by students as well as researchers, since it gives an overview of the origin and development of the basic ideas of modern particle physics, quantum statistical mechanics and the mathematics behind. The book provides a rich collection of modern research topics and references to important recent published work.” Zentralblatt MATH “The publication of this authoritative and comprehensively referenced two-volume set, written in somewhat condensed but eminently lucid style and explaining the principal underlying concepts and most important results of QFT, is particularly timely and useful. I am pleased to recommend most heartily this important reference source to students and physicists and to those concerned with the philosophy of science.” George B. Kauffman Professor Emeritus of Chemistry California State University, Fresno

Aimed at graduate students in physics and mathematics, this book provides an introduction to recent developments in several active topics at the interface between algebra, geometry, topology and quantum field theory. The first part of the book begins with an account of important results in geometric topology. It investigates the differential equation aspects of quantum cohomology, before moving on to noncommutative geometry. This is followed by a further exploration of quantum field theory and gauge theory, describing AdS/CFT correspondence, and the functional renormalization group approach to quantum gravity. The second part covers a wide spectrum of topics on the borderline of mathematics and physics, ranging from orbifolds to quantum indistinguishability and involving a manifold of mathematical tools borrowed from geometry, algebra and analysis. Each chapter presents introductory material before moving on to more advanced results. The chapters are self-contained and can be read independently of the rest.

This volume reflects the growing collaboration between mathematicians and theoretical physicists to treat the foundations of quantum field theory using the mathematical tools of q-deformed algebras and noncommutative differential geometry. A particular challenge is posed by gravity, which probably necessitates extension of these methods to geometries with minimum length and therefore quantization of space. This volume builds on the lectures and talks that have been given at a recent meeting on "Quantum Field Theory and Noncommutative Geometry." A considerable effort has been invested in making the contributions accessible to a wider community of readers - so this volume will not only benefit researchers in the field but also postgraduate students and scientists from related areas wishing to become better acquainted with this field.

This text focuses on the algebraic formulation of quantum field theory, from the introductory aspects to the applications to concrete problems of physical interest. The book is divided in thematic chapters covering both introductory and more advanced topics. These include the algebraic, perturbative approach to interacting quantum field theories, algebraic quantum field theory on curved spacetimes (from its structural aspects to the applications in cosmology and to the role of quantum spacetimes), algebraic conformal field theory, the Kitaev's quantum double model from the point of view of local quantum physics and constructive aspects in relation to integrable models and deformation techniques. The book is addressed to master and graduate students both in mathematics and in physics, who are interested in learning the structural aspects and the applications of algebraic quantum field theory.