Morgan & Claypool Relativistic Quantum Field Theory, Volume 2: Path Integral Formalism (IOP Concise Physics)

About the Author Dr Michael Strickland is a professor of physics at Kent State University. His primary interest is the physics of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) and high-temperature quantum field theory (QFT). The QGP is predicted by quantum chromodynamics (QCD) to have existed until approximately 10-5seconds after the big bang. Dr. Strickland has published research papers on various topics related to the QGP, quantum field theory, relativistic hydrodynamics, and many other topics. In addition, he has co-written a classic text on the physics of neural networks. Product Description Volume 2 of this three-part series presents the quantization of classical field theory using the path integral formalism.For this volume the target audience is students who wish to learn about relativistic quantum field theory applied to particle physics, however, it is still very accessible and useful for students of condensed matter. This volume begins with the introduction of the path integral formalism for non-relativistic quantum mechanics and then, using this as a basis, extends the formalism to quantum fields with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. Dr. Strickland then discusses how to quantize gauge fields using the Fadeev-Popov method and fermionic fields using Grassman algebra. He then presents the path integral formulation of quantum chromodynamics and its renormalization. Finally, he discusses the role played by topological solutions in non-abelian gauge theories.