MATH3351: Topics in Mathematical Physics Honours (2010)

In 2010 MATH3351: Topics in mathematical Physics Honours will run in the first semester, and consist if of

• Quantum Field Theory (18 lectures, Bouwknegt)
  

  This part of the course will start with a brief account of Classical Field Theory (Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, symmetries, conserved current/charges, Noether's theorem) and Relativistic Quantum Mechanics (Dirac equation), followed by an introduction to Quantum Field Theory, and Quantum Electrodynamics in particular (canonical quantization, propagators, S-matrix, Dyson expansion, Feynman diagrams, scattering amplitudes).

• Integrable Models in Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory (18 lectures, Batchelor)
  

  This part of the course will start with a summary of the modern theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena in statistical physics, including scaling functions and universality. This will be followed by an introduction to the theory of exactly solved lattice models in statistical mechanics, including the Ising model, the six-vertex model, commuting transfer matrices and the Yang-Baxter equation. The course will conclude with an introduction to similar integrable structures in quantum field theory, including S-matrices and factorised many-body scattering.
  
  

Expected knowledge: PHYS2013, PHYS2016, MATH2406