Synopses & Reviews
In this third volume of his modern introduction to quantum field theory, Eberhard Zeidler examines the mathematical and physical aspects of gauge theory as a principle tool for describing the four fundamental forces which act in the universe: gravitative, electromagnetic, weak interaction and strong interaction. Volume III concentrates on the classical aspects of gauge theory, describing the four fundamental forces by the curvature of appropriate fiber bundles. This must be supplemented by the crucial, but elusive quantization procedure. The book is arranged in four sections, devoted to realizing the universal principle force equals curvature: Part I: The Euclidean Manifold as a Paradigm Part II: Ariadne's Thread in Gauge Theory Part III: Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity Part IV: Ariadne's Thread in Cohomology For students of mathematics the book is designed to demonstrate that detailed knowledge of the physical background helps to reveal interesting interrelationships among diverse mathematical topics. Physics students will be exposed to a fairly advanced mathematics, beyond the level covered in the typical physics curriculum. Quantum Field Theory builds a bridge between mathematicians and physicists, based on challenging questions about the fundamental forces in the universe (macrocosmos), and in the world of elementary particles (microcosmos).
Review
From the reviews: "This book is the third volume of a complete exposition of the important mathematical methods used in modern quantum field theory. It presents the very basic formalism, important results, and the most recent advances emphasizing the applications to gauge theory. ... the book's greatest strength is Zeidler's zeal to help students understand fundamental mathematics better. I thus find the book extremely useful since it signifies the role of mathematics for the road to reality ... ." (Gert Roepstorff, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1228, 2012)
Synopsis
This book examines gauge theory as a tool for describing the fundamental forces acting in the universe: gravitative, electromagnetic, weak interaction and strong interaction. The author used gauge theory to build a bridge between mathematicians and physicists.
About the Author
The author is a retired director of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig (Germany). He is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina.
Table of Contents
Prologue.- Part I. The Euclidean Manifold as a Paradigm: 1. The Euclidean Space E3 (Hilbert Space and Lie Algebra Structure).- 2. Algebras and Duality (Tensor Algebra, Grassmann Algebra, Cli_ord Algebra, Lie Algebra).- 3. Representations of Symmetries in Mathematics and Physics.- 4. The Euclidean Manifold E3.- 5. The Lie Group U(1) as a Paradigm in Harmonic Analysis and Geometry.- 6. Infinitesimal Rotations and Constraints in Physics.- 7. Rotations, Quaternions, the Universal Covering Group, and the Electron Spin.- 8. Changing Observers - A Glance at Invariant Theory Based on the Principle of the Correct Index Picture.- 9. Applications of Invariant Theory to the Rotation Group.- 10. Temperature Fields on the Euclidean Manifold E3.- 11. Velocity Vector Fields on the Euclidean Manifold E3.- 12. Covector Fields and Cartan's Exterior Differential - the Beauty of Differential Forms.- Part II. Ariadne's Thread in Gauge Theory: