Publisher's Synopsis
These two volumes contain 64 essays on quantum field theory and quantum statistical physics specially commissioned in honour of the sixtieth birthday of Efim Fradkin. Over the years Professor Fradkin has continuously figured among the leaders of this very dynamic science, and the star-studded list of authors of this collection reflects the respect in which he is held. More than 90 theoretical physicists from 16 countries have united their efforts to emphasise his many important contributions and create a portrait of the present-day theory. As wide-ranging as have been Fradkin's studies, this book forms an encyclopaedia of modern high-energy theoretical physics. It contains essays which trace the peculiar, even grotesque, paths followed by theoretical physics over the past forty years and it also contains essays which put forward completely new ideas such as field theory of Galois fields. It contains comprehensive reviews and it also contains illuminating research papers. These are essays expounding general methods of field theory such as quantisation of dynamical systems, the effective action approach, the method of conformal field theory and there are also essays containing current work on quantum gravity, supersymmmetry and superstrings. In addition some essays deal with applications of field theory methods to other areas of physics such as polymer blends and amorphous systems in solid state physics. These volumes will be of great interest to researchers, postgraduate students and all those interested in the modern status of quantum field thoery and statistical physics, as well as the paths of their newest development.
