Quantum
Field Theory, I-II
PHYS 6455 - 6456, FALL 2024, SPRING 2025
Welcome to the web page for the course "Quantum field theory".
General class info
Tentative syllabus
Go here for homework assignments.
News:
The class will meet Mon and Wed from
4:00 - 5:15 pm in Rob 122.
Office hours will be Mon and Fri, 12:30-2.
I'm also happy to chat anytime I'm free.
My lecture notes (the class text) will be available from a local
copy shop soon.
No class on Mon Oct 7 or Wed Oct 9.
Not only is working on the homework in groups permitted,
in fact it is encouraged. If you aren't already part of a study group,
then I encourage you to join or form one.
After all, one of the easiest and most efficient ways to get
questions answered and get a deeper understanding of the material is to
consult your peers.
Supplementary material:
The following books contain supplementary material.
We will not be following them, but if you find something difficult to
understand in my notes, one of them may be helpful.
Although most are at the library, I have not put them on reserve,
so please be polite to your classmates and don't check them out
unless you absolutely must (in which case, return them ASAP).
- M Peskin, D Schroeder, An introduction to quantum field theory
- L Ryder, Quantum field theory
- A. Zee, Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell,
does an excellent job of providing general background and
context for students learning QFT for the first time.
- J. Zinn-Justin, Quantum Field Theory and Critical
Phenomena
- Itzykson, Zuber, Quantum Field Theory
- Collins, Renormalization
- P Ramond, Field Theory: A Modern Primer
- Michael Stone, The physics of quantum fields
- Les Houches 1975, Methods in Field Theory, ed. by R. Balian and J.
Zinn-Justin
- S. Coleman, Aspects of Symmetry
- Weinberg, The Quantum Theory of Fields, volumes I-III.
(This is a good reference work for more advanced treatments.
To my mind, less useful as an introduction, but definitely
a good reference to consult later for detailed technical questions.)
All of the books above are oriented towards high-energy theory.
A few that are oriented towards QFT in condensed matter physics are
- N. Ashcroft and N. D. Mermin, Solid State Physics,
is oriented towards more general topics and only has a little bit pertinent
to QFT, but is good regardless
- J. Cardy, Scaling and Renormalization in Statistical Physics
- A. Tsvelik, Quantum Field Theory in Condensed Matter Physics
- E. Fradkin, Field Theories of Condensed Matter Systems,
has good treatments of more advanced topics
- J. Reissland, The Physics of Phonons
- H. Haken, Quantum Field Theory of Solids: an Introduction
Homework
Handouts
Last modified: August 16, 2010.
ersharpe at phys