Waterstones Quantum Field Theory for the Gifted Amateur
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Price: £38.49
Brand: Waterstones
Description: Quantum field theory is arguably the most far-reaching and beautiful physical theory ever constructed, with aspects more stringently tested and verified to greater precision than any other theory in physics. Unfortunately, the subject has gained a notorious reputation for difficulty, with forbidding looking mathematics and a peculiar diagrammatic language described in an array of unforgiving, weighty textbooks aimed firmly at aspiring professionals. However, quantum field theory is too important, too beautiful, and too engaging to be restricted to the professionals. This book on quantum field theory is designed to be different. It is written by experimental physicists and aims to provide the interested amateur with a bridge from undergraduate physics to quantum field theory. The imagined reader is a gifted amateur, possessing a curious and adaptable mind, looking to be told an entertaining and intellectually stimulating story, but who will not feel patronised if a few mathematical niceties are spelled out in detail. Using numerous worked examples, diagrams, and careful physically motivated explanations, this book will smooth the path towards understanding the radically different and revolutionary view of the physical world that quantum field theory provides, and which all physicists should have the opportunity to experience. Waterstones Quantum Field Theory for the Gifted Amateur - shop the best deal online on thebookbug.co.uk
Category: Books
Merchant: Waterstones
Product ID: 9780199699339
Delivery cost: 0.00
ISBN: 9780199699339
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Author: Martyn W
Rating: 5
Review: As an amateur with a Physics degree from the late 60s and a keen interest in the narrative books on particle physics I found I wanted a more detailed understanding. Discovering 'The Road to Reality' introduced me to the maths, gave the detail I craved (after reading it 3 times) and the confidence to consider 'Quantum Field Theory for the Gifted Amateur'. I am just so glad I did as it provides exactly what I wanted, its just wonderful - but very, very hard work. I have read it through once to get the gist and am now half-way through reading and re-reading in detail. I got a bit stuck on many of the notations, such as the bra-ket and 4-vector stuff and had to do plenty of work looking up and understanding such things from other sources. Luckily I discovered Lenny Susskind's clear and excellent explanations in his theoretical minimum quantum mechanics lectures ([...] and in book form 'Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum') which covers bra-ket notation and much other fascinating stuff. His Classical Mechanics lecture #3 (I didn't bother with the other lectures) covered Lagrangians and principle of least action which I don't remember covering before. I also watched his special relativity (includes 3 & 4-vector notations) and advanced QM lectures. So this book is not for the faint-hearted amateur, it needs a lot of study and background work to understand the basic notational tools that are assumed. But it is clearly written in a very logical sequence of bite-sized chapters with lots of examples and illustrations and I absolutely love it. PS. For help in understanding what is a gauge theory (and Goldstone bosons) try Lenny's lectures on New Revolutions in Particle Physics: Standard Model, lecture 7 in particular ([...]). PPS. For help understanding Grassman numbers try Lenny's lecture on Supersymmetry & Grand Unification: Lecture 4 ([...]); discussed around 1hr 7 mins in but previous stuff well worth watching as ever.
Author: FCM SOFTWARE
Rating: 4
Review: This is a complicated book, but it has to be said that the subject itself is a complex one. Given this the authors have provided a text which (though requiring a lot of work) is understandable to the reader with a prior technical background in the relevant fields of Physics and Mathematics. The book contains la ot of useful sidebars containing graphics illustrating key concepts in the text, it also has many problems but doesn't seem to provide worked answers -- although it does have hints to solutions. Structurally the book is well laid out going from the basics of the Langrangian formalism through to how (and why) this is used in the problem of field quantization. There is also a good discussion of the Dirac equation and the theory of QED plus various other branches of physics where these techniques are used eg. Superconductors. This is one of those books which at first looks a bit daunting but when enough hard work is put in provides the reader with a very good grasp of the subject and great satisfaction in that they have understood at least some of this cornerstone of modern theoretical Physics.
