Quantum Field Theory and Critical Phenomena (The International Series of Monographs on Physics, 113)

Rating:
Summary: Nice written overview of QFT from a stat mech perspective
Review: This book is a lengthy discussion of quantum field theory from the viewpoint of statistical mechanics. The author does a good job in connecting the theory of quantum fields with critical phenomena in statistical mechanics. Path integration is used throughout (more detailed discussion could be useful on how one relates the real time formulation for time independent Hamiltonians to the Euclidean formulation). It is the Euclidean functional integral that is exploited throughout the book to make the connections between QFT and statistical mechanics.The author should have discussed the issues with analytical continuation between the real time and imaginary time formulations. The discussion on instantons was very illuminating. -LC (Global Mathematics, Inc)