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'This accessible and conceptually structured introduction to quantum field theory will be of value not only to beginning students but also to practicing physicists interested in learning or reviewing specific topics. The book is organized in a modular fashion, which makes it easy to extract the basic information relevant to the reader's area(s) of interest. The material is presented in an intuitively clear and informal style. Foundational topics such as path integrals and Lorentz representations are included early in the exposition, as appropriate for a modern course; later material includes a detailed description of the Standard Model and other advanced topics such as instantons, supersymmetry, and unification, which are essential knowledge for working particle physicists, but which are not treated in most other field theory texts.' Washington Taylor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 'Over the years I have used parts of Srednicki's book to teach field theory to physics graduate students not specializing in particle physics. This is a vast subject, with many outstanding textbooks. Among these, Srednicki's stands out for its pedagogy. The subject is built logically, rather than historically. The exposition walks the line between getting the idea across and not shying away from a serious calculation. Path integrals enter early, and renormalization theory is pursued from the very start... By the end of the course the student should understand both beta functions and the Standard Model, and be able to carry through a calculation when a perturbative calculation is called for.' Predrag Cvitanovi, Georgia Institute of Technology 'This book should become a favorite of quantum field theory students and instructors. The approach is systematic and comprehensive, but the friendly and encouraging voice of the author comes through loud and clear to make the subject feel accessible. Many interesting examples are worked out in pedagogical detail.' Ann Nelson, University of Washington 'I expect that this will be the textbook of choice for many quantum field theory courses. The presentation is straightforward and readable, with the author's easy-going 'voice' coming through in his writing. The organization into a large number of short chapters, with the prerequisites for each chapter clearly marked, makes the book flexible and easy to teach from or to read independently. A large and varied collection of special topics is available, depending on the interests of the instructor and the student.' Joseph Polchinski, University of California, Santa Barbara
Review
'This accessible and conceptually structured introduction to quantum field theory will be of value not only to beginning students but also to practicing physicists interested in learning or reviewing specific topics. The book is organized in a modular fashion, which makes it easy to extract the basic information relevant to the reader's area(s) of interest. The material is presented in an intuitively clear and informal style. Foundational topics such as path integrals and Lorentz representations are included early in the exposition, as appropriate for a modern course; later material includes a detailed description of the Standard Model and other advanced topics such as instantons, supersymmetry, and unification, which are essential knowledge for working particle physicists, but which are not treated in most other field theory texts.' Washington Taylor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
'Over the years I have used parts of Srednicki's book to teach field theory to physics graduate students not specializing in particle physics. This is a vast subject, with many outstanding textbooks. Among these, Srednicki's stands out for its pedagogy. The subject is built logically, rather than historically. The exposition walks the line between getting the idea across and not shying away from a serious calculation. Path integrals enter early, and renormalization theory is pursued from the very start.... By the end of the course the student should understand both beta functions and the Standard Model, and be able to carry through a calculation when a perturbative calculation is called for.' Predrag Cvitanovi, Georgia Institute of Technology
'This book should become a favorite of quantum field theory students and instructors. The approach is systematic and comprehensive, but the friendly and encouraging voice of the author comes through loud and clear to make the subject feel accessible. Many interesting examples are worked out in pedagogical detail.' Ann Nelson, University of Washington
'I expect that this will be the textbook of choice for many quantum field theory courses. The presentation is straightforward and readable, with the author's easy-going 'voice' coming through in his writing. The organization into a large number of short chapters, with the prerequisites for each chapter clearly marked, makes the book flexible and easy to teach from or to read independently. A large and varied collection of special topics is available, depending on the interests of the instructor and the student.' Joseph Polchinski, University of California, Santa Barbara
'Over the years I have used parts of Srednicki's book to teach field theory to physics graduate students not specializing in particle physics. This is a vast subject, with many outstanding textbooks. Among these, Srednicki's stands out for its pedagogy. The subject is built logically, rather than historically. The exposition walks the line between getting the idea across and not shying away from a serious calculation. Path integrals enter early, and renormalization theory is pursued from the very start.... By the end of the course the student should understand both beta functions and the Standard Model, and be able to carry through a calculation when a perturbative calculation is called for.' Predrag Cvitanovi, Georgia Institute of Technology
'This book should become a favorite of quantum field theory students and instructors. The approach is systematic and comprehensive, but the friendly and encouraging voice of the author comes through loud and clear to make the subject feel accessible. Many interesting examples are worked out in pedagogical detail.' Ann Nelson, University of Washington
'I expect that this will be the textbook of choice for many quantum field theory courses. The presentation is straightforward and readable, with the author's easy-going 'voice' coming through in his writing. The organization into a large number of short chapters, with the prerequisites for each chapter clearly marked, makes the book flexible and easy to teach from or to read independently. A large and varied collection of special topics is available, depending on the interests of the instructor and the student.' Joseph Polchinski, University of California, Santa Barbara
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I own six books on quantum field theory (QFT): Mandl & Shaw, Peskin & Schroeder, Kaku, Maggiore, Weinberg and this one by Srednicki. Of the six, Srednicki's book was the one that finally made me feel comfortable with QFT. It's a good book for beginners, and it's also a very distinctive and unusual book. So I would definitely recommend Srednicki, and I suggest reading it alongside either Mandl & Shaw or Peskin & Schroeder.
Here are its defining features:
(1) The presentation is generally clear, elegant and encouraging. Calculations are presented in full, without glossing over intermediate steps, and the assumptions and principles behind them are made explicit (if not always entirely convincingly). There are plenty of worked examples in the text and the problems are pitched at the right level. Although I found the opening few sections a tiny bit intimidating, the reading experience was plain sailing once I got over the initial hurdle.
(2) Srednicki is also direct and to-the-point. He teaches you enough to do the calculations, and not too much more. When you are new to QFT, this is definitely what you want. But some of my friends complain that it's not thoughtful enough, and they recommend Weinberg.
(3) The chapters are each only a few pages long, and deal with just one key idea. The chapter dependencies are stated so that the student can plot his/her own way through the book. For me, this kind of organization made the material more digestible.
(4) The book is unusual in that it teaches the QFT tools through easy toy practice models before going on to algebraically demanding physical theories like QED. I found this quite effective. The downside is that you have to read 400 pages before you get to the first prediction about the real world. You can be the judge of whether you want this or not. Certainly, it's a good idea to read Srednicki alongside a book that covers things in a conventional order, like Mandl & Shaw, Peskin & Schroeder or Maggiore.
(5) Even though this is a book is an introduction, Srednicki manages to give you mini-reviews of more advanced topics: lattice QCD and confinement, chiral symmetry breaking, solitons and instantons, supersymmetry and grand unification. He doesn't say much about any of them, but what he does say helped me loads when I went on to read more specialised accounts on the individual subjects. Srednicki points you towards those specialised accounts in a bibliography at the end of every chapter. There are two topics that are conspiciously missing: QED and QCD phenomenology, and phase transitions. You need Peskin and Schroeder for that.
(6) There are two ways of doing QFT: (i) canonical quantization and time-dependent perturbation theory (the old way) and (ii) the path integral (the modern way). Srednicki adopts the path integral approach from the outset, and does it very efficiently. Nowadays, almost everyone uses the path integral approach. But the fact that Srednicki doesn't cover time-dependent pertubation theory is a problem, which is why you need to supplement your reading with either Mandl & Shaw, Maggiore or Peskin & Schroeder.
(7) Renormalization (removing infinities) is probably the hardest topic in QFT, and Srednicki's coverage of renormalization is probably the book's strongest topic. Srednicki makes renormalization feel perfectly natural; right from the beginning, he is anticipating the need for renormalization (by making a fuss about the Lehmann-Kahlen propagator and the normalization conditions in the LSZ formula). Again, I need to issue a warning. There are two equivalent ways of doing the accounting in renormalization: (i) the multiplicative approach and (ii) the counterterms approach. Nowadays, everyones uses (ii). Srednicki covers only (ii). You should get Mandl & Shaw to learn (i), and then convince yourself that (i) and (ii) are equivalent by studying Peskin & Schroeder.
Here are its defining features:
(1) The presentation is generally clear, elegant and encouraging. Calculations are presented in full, without glossing over intermediate steps, and the assumptions and principles behind them are made explicit (if not always entirely convincingly). There are plenty of worked examples in the text and the problems are pitched at the right level. Although I found the opening few sections a tiny bit intimidating, the reading experience was plain sailing once I got over the initial hurdle.
(2) Srednicki is also direct and to-the-point. He teaches you enough to do the calculations, and not too much more. When you are new to QFT, this is definitely what you want. But some of my friends complain that it's not thoughtful enough, and they recommend Weinberg.
(3) The chapters are each only a few pages long, and deal with just one key idea. The chapter dependencies are stated so that the student can plot his/her own way through the book. For me, this kind of organization made the material more digestible.
(4) The book is unusual in that it teaches the QFT tools through easy toy practice models before going on to algebraically demanding physical theories like QED. I found this quite effective. The downside is that you have to read 400 pages before you get to the first prediction about the real world. You can be the judge of whether you want this or not. Certainly, it's a good idea to read Srednicki alongside a book that covers things in a conventional order, like Mandl & Shaw, Peskin & Schroeder or Maggiore.
(5) Even though this is a book is an introduction, Srednicki manages to give you mini-reviews of more advanced topics: lattice QCD and confinement, chiral symmetry breaking, solitons and instantons, supersymmetry and grand unification. He doesn't say much about any of them, but what he does say helped me loads when I went on to read more specialised accounts on the individual subjects. Srednicki points you towards those specialised accounts in a bibliography at the end of every chapter. There are two topics that are conspiciously missing: QED and QCD phenomenology, and phase transitions. You need Peskin and Schroeder for that.
(6) There are two ways of doing QFT: (i) canonical quantization and time-dependent perturbation theory (the old way) and (ii) the path integral (the modern way). Srednicki adopts the path integral approach from the outset, and does it very efficiently. Nowadays, almost everyone uses the path integral approach. But the fact that Srednicki doesn't cover time-dependent pertubation theory is a problem, which is why you need to supplement your reading with either Mandl & Shaw, Maggiore or Peskin & Schroeder.
(7) Renormalization (removing infinities) is probably the hardest topic in QFT, and Srednicki's coverage of renormalization is probably the book's strongest topic. Srednicki makes renormalization feel perfectly natural; right from the beginning, he is anticipating the need for renormalization (by making a fuss about the Lehmann-Kahlen propagator and the normalization conditions in the LSZ formula). Again, I need to issue a warning. There are two equivalent ways of doing the accounting in renormalization: (i) the multiplicative approach and (ii) the counterterms approach. Nowadays, everyones uses (ii). Srednicki covers only (ii). You should get Mandl & Shaw to learn (i), and then convince yourself that (i) and (ii) are equivalent by studying Peskin & Schroeder.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Based on my experience with Peskin&Schroeder, Weinberg and lecture notes from my university I can say that Professor Srednicki has produced the most approachable modern introduction to quantum field theory I've ever read.
The topics are presented in a modern fashion using the path integral method with renormalization included from the beginning. The chapters are short and to the point, making it easy to organize studying sessions. Most difficult calculations are done in sufficient detail for them to be followed easily with pen&paper in hand.
There are only two complaints: The author should have provided references to primary source material, enabling the reader to explore fine technical points and topics of special interest in more detail directly without having to wade through hundreds of unhelpful papers. (To be fair, the author specifically points out that he hasn't done so in the preface, further, he provides a list of secondary and primary sources on important topics in the bibliography section, albeit without pointing out their relevance to one topic or another.)
Secondly, the renormalization group is treated in a slightly superficial (but very comprehensible) manner, underselling the importance of the subject mildly.
The topics are presented in a modern fashion using the path integral method with renormalization included from the beginning. The chapters are short and to the point, making it easy to organize studying sessions. Most difficult calculations are done in sufficient detail for them to be followed easily with pen&paper in hand.
There are only two complaints: The author should have provided references to primary source material, enabling the reader to explore fine technical points and topics of special interest in more detail directly without having to wade through hundreds of unhelpful papers. (To be fair, the author specifically points out that he hasn't done so in the preface, further, he provides a list of secondary and primary sources on important topics in the bibliography section, albeit without pointing out their relevance to one topic or another.)
Secondly, the renormalization group is treated in a slightly superficial (but very comprehensible) manner, underselling the importance of the subject mildly.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
17 reviews
70 of 72 people found the following review helpful
Classroom Tested, Student Approved
7 Feb 2007
Format:Hardcover
I have been taught field theory from this text (actually, while it was in the process of being written), and then been a teaching assistant for the course in which it was used a second time.
In my experience, this is the best single text to use to learn field theory that one can buy today. It is completely modern in its presentation, and covers all of the fundamentals of field theory from scalars to spinors to gauge theory, and even has a significant amount of coverage of the standard model, specifically the Electro-weak theory. Additionally, the book is broken up into very short chapters of 4-10 pages each, and clearly cross referenced so you know what chapters are prerequisite knowledge.
There are a very large number of exercises which range in difficulty from very straightforward to very difficult. The problems manage to be educational and help deepen the understanding of what's presented in the text while still being a challenge.
This is an extremely well-rounded text. It is easily readable, and provides good intuition about the theory, but also goes far more in depth then the other "easier-to-read" field theory texts out there. It also generally sticks to the most commonly used notation and in situations where new notation is needed, the ones that are used are clear and well thought out. A solid graduate quantum mechanics background is necessary to get the most out of this test, but much of the more advanced math is covered as the book needs it (or reviewed in the exercises).
One down side to being so thorough on the theoretical framework is the lack of any reference to experiment or historical development of field theory. If your goal is to learn field theory only from the experimental side, there are better books out there. But for a solid grounding in the fundamentals of field theory there is no better place to start then this.
In my experience, this is the best single text to use to learn field theory that one can buy today. It is completely modern in its presentation, and covers all of the fundamentals of field theory from scalars to spinors to gauge theory, and even has a significant amount of coverage of the standard model, specifically the Electro-weak theory. Additionally, the book is broken up into very short chapters of 4-10 pages each, and clearly cross referenced so you know what chapters are prerequisite knowledge.
There are a very large number of exercises which range in difficulty from very straightforward to very difficult. The problems manage to be educational and help deepen the understanding of what's presented in the text while still being a challenge.
This is an extremely well-rounded text. It is easily readable, and provides good intuition about the theory, but also goes far more in depth then the other "easier-to-read" field theory texts out there. It also generally sticks to the most commonly used notation and in situations where new notation is needed, the ones that are used are clear and well thought out. A solid graduate quantum mechanics background is necessary to get the most out of this test, but much of the more advanced math is covered as the book needs it (or reviewed in the exercises).
One down side to being so thorough on the theoretical framework is the lack of any reference to experiment or historical development of field theory. If your goal is to learn field theory only from the experimental side, there are better books out there. But for a solid grounding in the fundamentals of field theory there is no better place to start then this.
51 of 54 people found the following review helpful
If only this book were available when I was in CalTech Phd program
20 Mar 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was at Caltech 1984-86 in Phd. theoretical physics program and they were still using Bjorken & Drell and then Ramond for the final quarter - I fell behind when we hit chapter 8 renormalization never caught up and to my regret dropped out and became a professional high limit poker player. Every few years I would buy another QFT text - I tried them all (Peskin & Schroeder, Ryder, kaku, Weinberg, Itzykson & Zuber, Hatfield, Zee)- learn a little but still never felt confortable with the subject. Then I discovered Prof. Srednicki's book on the internet and realized this is the book I have been waiting for. The subject is presented logically and coherently from a theorist point of view.
Renormalization, path integrals etc. are all treated from the beginning with a toy phi-cubed theory. What other field theory book actually shows you the double taylor expansion as in 9.11 page 60 and then clearly explains all the symmetry factors and numerical factors that lead to the final feynman diagrams.
The best part of the book is the problems - they are neither trivial nor research projects - so far I have worked almost every problem in part 1 (scalar fields)- and they are all instructive and doable. I particularly liked problem 10.5 on field redefinition - when you solve this one you know you understand the material on feynman diagrams and scattering amplitudes.
The treatment of scalar fields followed by spinor fields and then gauge fields enables one to learn the subject and gain confidence without overwhelming you with all the technical details and indices at once.
The only other book that compares with this one are Weinberg's which I would recommend tackling after Srednicki. I would also recommend Zee's nutshell book for those like myself who read QFT books for fun.
Renormalization, path integrals etc. are all treated from the beginning with a toy phi-cubed theory. What other field theory book actually shows you the double taylor expansion as in 9.11 page 60 and then clearly explains all the symmetry factors and numerical factors that lead to the final feynman diagrams.
The best part of the book is the problems - they are neither trivial nor research projects - so far I have worked almost every problem in part 1 (scalar fields)- and they are all instructive and doable. I particularly liked problem 10.5 on field redefinition - when you solve this one you know you understand the material on feynman diagrams and scattering amplitudes.
The treatment of scalar fields followed by spinor fields and then gauge fields enables one to learn the subject and gain confidence without overwhelming you with all the technical details and indices at once.
The only other book that compares with this one are Weinberg's which I would recommend tackling after Srednicki. I would also recommend Zee's nutshell book for those like myself who read QFT books for fun.
38 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Excellent textbook
17 Feb 2007
Format:Hardcover
Srednicki's book provides a brilliantly organized exposition of the fundamental concepts and calculational tools of quantum field theory. The book is self-contained, and divided into many short chapters which makes it convenient to read. The writing style is very pedagogical, essentially avoiding the "black magic" and mystery that seem to be a necessary ingredient in many other QFT textbooks. The material is presented in a logical way, and the author makes sure to address all the necessary details. I won't be surprised if this new book soon becomes the leading book on the subject.
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