Relativistic Quantum Field Theory, Volume 2

Volume 2 of this three-part series presents the quantization of classical field theory using the path integral formalism. For students who wish to learn about relativistic quantum field theory applied to particle physics, this accessible text is also useful for students of condensed matter. Beginning with an introduction of the path integral formalism for non-relativistic quantum mechanics, the formalism is extended to quantum fields with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. How to quantize gauge fields using the Fadeev–Popov method, and fermionic fields using Grassman algebra, is also explored before the path integral formulation of quantum chromodynamics and its renormalization is presented. Finally, the role played by topological solutions in non-abelian gauge theories is discussed.