The Large N Expansion In Quantum Field Theory And Statistical Physics

This book contains an edited comprehensive collection of reprints on the subject of the large N limit as applied to a wide spectrum of problems in quantum field theory and statistical mechanics. The topics include (1) Spin Systems; (2) Large N Limit of Gauge Theories; (3) Two-Dimensional QCD; (4) Exact Results on Planar Perturbation Series and the Nature of the 1/N Series; (5) Schwinger-Dyson Equations Approach; (6) QCD Phenomenological Lagrangians and the Large N Limit; (7) Other Approaches to Large N: Eguchi-Kawai Model, Collective Fields and Numerical Methods; (8) Matrix Models; (9) Two-Dimensional Gravity and String Theory.

This book contains an edited comprehensive collection of reprints on the subject of the large N limit as applied to a wide spectrum of problems in quantum field theory and statistical mechanics. The topics include (1) Spin Systems; (2) Large N Limit of Gauge Theories; (3) Two-Dimensional QCD; (4) Exact Results on Planar Perturbation Series and the Nature of the 1/N Series; (5) Schwinger-Dyson Equations Approach; (6) QCD Phenomenological Lagrangians and the Large N Limit; (7) Other Approaches to Large N: Eguchi-Kawai Model, Collective Fields and Numerical Methods; (8) Matrix Models; (9) Two-Dimensional Gravity and String Theory.

A highly pedagogical textbook for graduate students, exploring advanced topics of quantum field theory with detailed derivations and worked examples.

Contents: Extended Systems in Field Theory :Introduction (J-L Gervais and A Neveu)Vortices and Quark Confinement in Non-Abelian Gauge Theories (S Mandelstam)Magnetic and Electric Confinement of Quarks (Y Nambu)Examples of Four-Dimensional Soliton Solutions and Abnormal Nuclear States (T D Lee)Classical Solution in the Massive Thirring Model (S-J Chang)Semiclassical Quantization Methods in Field Theory (A Neveu)The Quantum Theory of Solitons and Other Non-Linear Classical Waves (R Jackiw)Collective Coordinate Method for Quantization of Extended Systems (J-L Gervais, A Jevicki and B Sakita)Quantum Expansion of Soliton Solutions (N H Christ)Hartree-Type Approximation Applied to a ϕ4 Field Theory (S-J Chang)Soliton Operators for the Quantized Sine–Gordon Equation (S Mandelstam)Classical Aspects and Fluctuation-Behaviour of Two Dimensional Models in Statistical Mechanics and Many Body Physics (B Schroer)Quarks on a Lattice, or, the Colored String Model (K G Wilson)New Ideas about Confinement (L Susskind and J Kogut)Gauge Fields on a Lattice (C Itzykson)Non-Perturbative Aspects in Quantum Field Theory:Self-Dual Solutions to Euclidean Yang–Mills Equations (E Corrigan)An Introduction to the Twistor Programme (J Madore, J L Richard and R Stora)Collective Coordinates with Non-Trivial Dynamics (J-L Gervais)A Theory of the Strong Interactions (D J Gross)Magneticmonopoles (D Olive)Dynamical and Topological Considerations on Quark Confinement (F Englert and P Windey)Difficulties in Fixing the Gauge in Non-Abelian Gauge Theories (S Sciuto)Indeterminate-Mass Particles (B M Mccoy and T T Wu)Duality for Discrete Lattice Gauge Fields (C Itzykson)Large Order Estimates in Perturbation Theory (J Zinn-Justin)The Borel Transform and the Renormalization Group (G Parisi)Planar Diagrams (E Brezin)Exact S-Matrices and Form Factors in 1 + 1 Dimensional Field Theoretic Models with Soliton Behaviour (M Karowski)Topology and Higher Symmetries of the Two-Dimensional Nonlinear σ Model (A D'adda, M Luscher and P Di Vecchia)Two-Dimensional Yang–Mills Theory in the Leading 1/N Expansion (T T Wu)Superfluidity and the Two-Dimensional XY Model' (D R Nelson)Bosonized Fermions in Three Dimensions (A Luther)Symmetry and Topology Concepts for Spin Glasses and Other Glasses (G Toulouse)Common Trends in Particle and Condensed Matter Physics:Introduction to Localization(D J Thouless)Conductivity Scaling and Localization(E Abrahams)Disordered Electronic System as a Model of Interacting Matrices(F Wegner)Status Report on Spin Glasses (Not Included in this Report)(S Kirkpatrick)Mean Field Theory for Spin Glasses(G Parisi)The Random Energy Model(B Derrida)Towards a Mean Field Theory of Spin Glasses: the Tap Route Revisited (C De Dominicis)On the Connection Between Spin Glasses and Gauge Field Theories(G Toulouse, J Vannimenus)Monte Carlo Simulations of Lattice Gauge Theories(C Rebbi)Large Dimension Expansions and Transition Patterns in Lattice Gauge Theories(J-M Drouffe)Progress in Lattice Gauge Theory(J B Kogut)Phase Structure of the Z(2) Gauge and Matter Theory(D Horn)General Introduction to Confinement(S Mandelstam)A Simple Picture of the Weak-to-Strong Coupling Transition in Quantum Chromodynamics(C G Callan Jr.)Quantum Fluctuations in a Multiinstanton Background(B A Berg)Some Comments on the Crossover Between Strong and Weak Coupling in Su(2) Pure Yang–Mills Theory(J Frohlich)String Dynamics in QCD (J-L Gervais, A Neveu)Dual Models and Strings: The Critical Dimension(C B Thorn: )Duality and Finite Size Effects in Six Vertex Models(C.B. Thorn: )Scaling at a Bifurcation Point(M Nauenberg, D Scalapino)Some Implications of a Cosmological Phase Transition(T W B Kibble) Readership: Graduate students and researchers in particle physics andcondensed matter physics.

This new expanded second edition has been totally revised and corrected. The reader finds two complete new chapters. One covers the exact solution of the finite temperature Schwinger model with periodic boundary conditions. This simple model supports instanton solutions – similarly as QCD – and allows for a detailed discussion of topological sectors in gauge theories, the anomaly-induced breaking of chiral symmetry and the intriguing role of fermionic zero modes. The other new chapter is devoted to interacting fermions at finite fermion density and finite temperature. Such low-dimensional models are used to describe long-energy properties of Dirac-type materials in condensed matter physics. The large-N solutions of the Gross-Neveu, Nambu-Jona-Lasinio and Thirring models are presented in great detail, where N denotes the number of fermion flavors. Towards the end of the book corrections to the large-N solution and simulation results of a finite number of fermion flavors are presented. Further problems are added at the end of each chapter in order to guide the reader to a deeper understanding of the presented topics. This book is meant for advanced students and young researchers who want to acquire the necessary tools and experience to produce research results in the statistical approach to Quantum Field Theory.

This comprehensive introduction to the many-body theory was written by three renowned physicists and acclaimed by American Scientist as "a classic text on field theoretic methods in statistical physics."

These lecture notes are based on special courses on Field Theory and Statistical Mechanics given for graduate students at the City College of New York. It is an ideal text for a one-semester course on Quantum Field Theory.

This volume contains a selection of expository articles on quantum field theory and statistical mechanics by James Glimm and Arthur Jaffe. They include a solution of the original interacting quantum field equations and a description of the physics which these equations contain. Quantum fields were proposed in the late 1920s as the natural framework which combines quantum theory with relativ ity. They have survived ever since. The mathematical description for quantum theory starts with a Hilbert space H of state vectors. Quantum fields are linear operators on this space, which satisfy nonlinear wave equations of fundamental physics, including coupled Dirac, Max well and Yang-Mills equations. The field operators are restricted to satisfy a "locality" requirement that they commute (or anti-commute in the case of fer mions) at space-like separated points. This condition is compatible with finite propagation speed, and hence with special relativity. Asymptotically, these fields converge for large time to linear fields describing free particles. Using these ideas a scattering theory had been developed, based on the existence of local quantum fields.