Quantum Field Theory
These pages form the core
of an introductory course on Quantum Field Theory. The course aims to guide
the student to the point where he/she has a sound understanding of the
basic principles of quantum field theory and can apply them to calculations
of tree-level Feynman diagrams in the study of elementary particle physics.
As a pre-requisite, the student should have a good knowledge of quantum
mechanics and special relativity. The course is built around two sets of
lecture notes:
An
Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
An
Introduction to QED and QCD
It is perhaps better to
start with the "Introduction to Quantum Field Theory", although it is possible
to work through both in parallel. Each set of notes contains many exercises
for the student to attempt. The exercises are designed to help the student
develop a good understanding of the key ideas and techniques. Students
should attempt all of these problems and discuss them in tutorials.
Note that there is an Appendix
A to the "Introduction to QED and QCD" course which provides useful background
material, including some introductory group theory. There are several exercises
embedded in the text which students should attempt before starting
on either of the main lecture notes.
At the end of each set of
notes there is a list of reference text books. Students should consult
these references whenever necessary. These lecture notes are not exhaustive
- they merely provide a platform on which a more advanced understanding
of Quantum Field Theory can be built.
In addition to the exercises in the text, there
are three problem sheets containing more difficult questions. Typically these
questions will require some reading beyond the lecture notes.
PROBLEMS 1
PROBLEMS 2
PROBLEMS 3