One of the aims of this book is to explain in a basic manner the seemingly difficult issues of mathematical structure using some specific examples as a guide. In each of the cases considered, a comprehensible physical problem is approached, to which the corresponding mathematical scheme is applied, its usefulness being duly demonstrated. The authors try to fill the gap that always exists between the physics of quantum field theories and the mathematical methods best suited for its formulation, which are increasingly demanding on the mathematical ability of the physicist.

One of the aims of this book is to explain in a basic manner the seemingly difficult issues of mathematical structure using some specific examples as a guide. In each of the cases considered, a comprehensible physical problem is approached, to which the corresponding mathematical scheme is applied, its usefulness being duly demonstrated. The authors try to fill the gap that always exists between the physics of quantum field theories and the mathematical methods best suited for its formulation, which are increasingly demanding on the mathematical ability of the physicist. Contents: Survey of Path Integral Quantization and Regularization Techniques; The Zeta-Function Regularization Method; Generalized Spectra and Spectral Functions on Non-Commutative Spaces; Spectral Functions of Laplace Operator on Locally Symmetric Spaces; Spinor Fields; Field Fluctuations and Related Variances; The Multiplicative Anomaly; Applications of the Multiplicative Anomaly; The Casimir Effect. Readership: Mathematical and high energy physicists.

Quantum field theory (QFT) provides the framework for many fundamental theories in modern physics, and over the last few years there has been growing interest in its historical and philosophical foundations. This anthology on the foundations of QFT brings together 15 essays by well-known researchers in physics, the philosophy of physics, and analytic philosophy.Many of these essays were first presented as papers at the conference “Ontological Aspects of Quantum Field Theory”, held at the Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Forschung (ZiF), Bielefeld, Germany. The essays contain cutting-edge work on ontological aspects of QFT, including: the role of measurement and experimental evidence, corpuscular versus field-theoretic interpretations of QFT, the interpretation of gauge symmetry, and localization.This book is ideally suited to anyone with an interest in the foundations of quantum physics, including physicists, philosophers and historians of physics, as well as general readers interested in philosophy or science.

Despite its long history and stunning experimental successes, the mathematical foundation of perturbative quantum field theory is still a subject of ongoing research. This book aims at presenting some of the most recent advances in the field, and at reflecting the diversity of approaches and tools invented and currently employed. Both leading experts and comparative newcomers to the field present their latest findings, helping readers to gain a better understanding of not only quantum but also classical field theories. Though the book offers a valuable resource for mathematicians and physicists alike, the focus is more on mathematical developments. This volume consists of four parts: The first Part covers local aspects of perturbative quantum field theory, with an emphasis on the axiomatization of the algebra behind the operator product expansion. The second Part highlights Chern-Simons gauge theories, while the third examines (semi-)classical field theories. In closing, Part 4 addresses factorization homology and factorization algebras.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to Fock space theory and its applications to mathematical quantum field theory. The first half of the book, Part I, is devoted to detailed descriptions of analysis on abstract Fock spaces (full Fock space, boson Fock space, fermion Fock space and boson-fermion Fock space). It includes the mathematics of second quantization, representation theory of canonical commutation relations and canonical anti-commutation relations, Bogoliubov transformations, infinite-dimensional Dirac operators and supersymmetric quantum field in an abstract form. The second half of the book, Part II, covers applications of the mathematical theories in Part I to quantum field theory. Four kinds of free quantum fields are constructed and detailed analyses are made. A simple interacting quantum field model, called the van Hove model, is fully analyzed in an abstract form. Moreover, a list of interacting quantum field models is presented and a short description to each model is given. To graduate students in mathematics or physics who are interested in the mathematical aspects of quantum field theory, this book is a good introductory text. It is also well suited for self-study and will provide readers a firm foundation of knowledge and mathematical techniques for reading more advanced books and current research articles in the field of mathematical analysis on quantum fields. Also, numerous problems are added to aid readers to develop a deeper understanding of the field. Contents: Linear Operators on Hilbert SpaceTensor Product of Hilbert SpacesTensor Product of Linear Operators on Hilbert SpacesFull Fock SpaceBoson Fock SpaceFermion Fock SpaceBoson-Fermion Fock SpaceTheory of Infinite-Dimensional Dirac Operators and Abstract Supersymmetric Quantum Fields General Theory of Quantum FieldsQuantum de Broglie FieldQuantum Klein–Gordon FieldQuantum Radiation FieldQuantum Dirac Fieldvan Hove ModelOverview of Interacting Quantum Field Models Readership: Advanced undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics or physics, mathematicians and mathematical physicists. Keywords: Fock Space;Second Quantization;Canonical Commutation Relation;Canonical Anti-Commutation Relation;Quantum Field;Bose Field;Fermi Field;Dirac Operator;Supersymmetry;Supersymmetric Quantum Field; Quantum Electrodynamics;van Hove ModelReview: Key Features: Detailed description of the theory of Fock spaces including full Fock spaces, boson Fock spaces, fermion Fock spaces and boson-fermion Fock spacesNew topics are included, such as the theory of infinite dimensional Dirac operators and an abstract supersymmetric quantum field theory, which have been originally developed by the authorDetailed treatment of mathematical constructions of free quantum field models as well as a simple interacting model

The theory of quantum fields on curved spacetimes has attracted great attention since the discovery, by Stephen Hawking, of black-hole evaporation. It remains an important subject for the understanding of such contemporary topics as inflationary cosmology, quantum gravity and superstring theory. This book provides, for mathematicians, an introduction to this field of physics in a language and from a viewpoint which such a reader should find congenial. Physicists should also gain from reading this book a sound grasp of various aspects of the theory, some of which have not been particularly emphasised in the existing review literature. The topics covered include normal-mode expansions for a general elliptic operator, Fock space, the Casimir effect, the 'Klein' paradox, particle definition and particle creation in expanding universes, asymptotic expansion of Green's functions and heat kernels, and renormalisation of the stress tensor. The style is pedagogic rather than formal; some knowledge of general relativity and differential geometry is assumed, but the author does supply background material on functional analysis and quantum field theory as required. The book arose from a course taught to graduate students and could be used for self-study or for advanced courses in relativity and quantum field theory.

The majority of the "memorable" results of relativistic quantum theory were obtained within the framework of the local quantum field approach. The explanation of the basic principles of the local theory and its mathematical structure has left its mark on all modern activity in this area. Originally, the axiomatic approach arose from attempts to give a mathematical meaning to the quantum field theory of strong interactions (of Yukawa type). The fields in such a theory are realized by operators in Hilbert space with a positive Poincare-invariant scalar product. This "classical" part of the axiomatic approach attained its modern form as far back as the sixties. * It has retained its importance even to this day, in spite of the fact that nowadays the main prospects for the description of the electro-weak and strong interactions are in connection with the theory of gauge fields. In fact, from the point of view of the quark model, the theory of strong interactions of Wightman type was obtained by restricting attention to just the "physical" local operators (such as hadronic fields consisting of ''fundamental'' quark fields) acting in a Hilbert space of physical states. In principle, there are enough such "physical" fields for a description of hadronic physics, although this means that one must reject the traditional local Lagrangian formalism. (The connection is restored in the approximation of low-energy "phe nomenological" Lagrangians.