A Short Introduction to String Theory

Erscheinungsjahr 2022
ISBN: 978-1-108-48138-0
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 250 Seiten, Format (B × H): 183 mm x 260 mm, Gewicht: 734 g

Suitable for graduate students in physics and mathematics, this book presents a concise and pedagogical introduction to string theory. It focuses on explaining the key concepts of string theory, such as bosonic strings, D-branes, supersymmetry and superstrings, and on clarifying the relationship between particles, fields and strings, without assuming an advanced background in particle theory or quantum field theory, making it widely accessible to interested readers from a range of backgrounds. Important ideas underpinning current research, such as partition functions, compactification, gauge symmetries and T-duality are analysed both from the world-sheet (conformal field theory) and the space-time (effective field theory) perspective. Ideal for either self-study or a one semester graduate course, A Short Introduction to String Theory is an essential resource for students studying string theory, containing examples and homework problems to develop understanding, with fully worked solutions available to instructors.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mohaupt, Thomas

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Physik Quantenphysik Teilchenphysik
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Quantenphysik Hochenergiephysik
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Physik Allgemein Theoretische Physik, Mathematische Physik, Computerphysik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Dedication. Preface. Acknowledgements. Introduction. Part I. From Particles to Strings: 1. Classical relativistic point particles; 2. Classical relativistic strings; 3. Quantized relativistic particles and strings. Part II. The World-Sheet Perspective: 4. The free massless scalar field on the complex plane; 5. Two-dimensional conformal field theories; 6. Partition functions I; Part III. The Space-Time Perspective: 7. Covariant quantization I; 8. Intermezzo: Representations of the Poincaré group; 9. Covariant quantization II; 10. Light-cone quantization; 11. Partition functions II; Part IV. Outlook: 12. Interactions; 13. Dimensional reduction and T-duality; 14. Fermions and supersymmetry; Appendix A; Appendix B; Appendix C; Appendix D; Appendix E; Appendix F; Appendix G. References. Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Mohaupt, Thomas
Thomas Mohaupt obtained his PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Munster and is Reader in Theoretical Physics at the University of Liverpool. He has published extensively on string theory, specialising in black hole entropy and supergravity, and has taught various courses on related topics in the UK and in Germany. He has been a visiting scholar at Stanford University, a visiting professor at the University of Nancy, and a Senior Fellow at the Erwin Schrödinger International Institute for Mathematics and Physics in Vienna.