Publisher's Synopsis
This book provides a self-contained introduction to the basic tools and concepts of quantum field theory, and goes on to demonstrate their use in a range of topics in statistical mechanics and condensed matter physics. The first part of the book outlines the key methods of quantum field theory, including path integrals, Feynman diagrams, and renormalization. These are then applied to such topics as electrodynamics in metals, relativistic fermions and the Aharonov-Bohm effect. The rest of the book is dedicated to the use of non-perturbative techniques, and deals with strongly fluctuating spin systems, conformal symmetry and Kondo chains, as well as a number of related problems. The book will be useful to graduate students and established researchers in condensed matter physics and statistical mechanics, and to anyone with an interest in the modern techniques of quantum field theory.
