The book is the first full-size Encyclopedia which simultaneously covers such well-established and modern subjects as quantum field theory, supersymmetry, supergravity, M-theory, black holes and quantum gravity, noncommutative geometry, representation theory, categories and quantum groups, and their generalizations. The extraordinary historical part "the SUSY story," more than 700 authored articles from more than 250 high-level experts (including Nobel Prize Winner Gerard 't Hooft), a detailed (50 pages) Subject/Article three level index and an Author index, make the SUSY Encyclopedia an outstanding and indispensable book on the desk of researchers, experts, Ph.D. students, specialists and professionals in modern methods of theoretical and mathematical physics.

The Coldest Night

We read in order to know we are not alone, I once heard, and perhaps it could also be suggested that we write in order not to be alone, to endorse, to promote continuity. The idea for this book took about 10 years to materialize, and it is the author’s hope that its content will constitute the beginning of further explorations beyond current horizons. More speci cally, this book appeals to the reader to engage upon and persevere with a journey, moving through the less well explored territories in the evolution of the very early universe, and pushing towards new landscapes. P- haps, during or after consulting this book, this attitude and this willingness will be embraced by someone, somewhere, and this person will go on to enrich our quantum cosmological description of the early universe, by means of a clearer supersymm- ric perspective. It is to these creative and inquisitive ‘young minds’ that the book is addressed. The reader will not therefore nd in this book all the answers to all the problems regarding a supersymmetric and quantum description of the early universe, and this remark is substantiated in the book by a list of unresolved and challenging problems, itself incomplete.

The solution of the Dirac equation for an electron in a Coulomb field is systematically treated here by utilizing new insights provided by supersymmetry. It is shown that each of the concepts has its analogue in the non-relativistic case. Indeed, the non-relativistic case is developed first, in order to introduce the new concepts in a familiar context. The symmetry of the non-relativistic model is already present in the classical limit, so the classical Kepler problem is first discussed in order to bring out the role played by the Laplace vector, one of the central concepts of the whole book. Analysis of the concept of eccentricity of the orbits turns out to be essential to understanding the relation of the classical and quantum mechanical models. The opportunity is taken to relive the great moments of physics: From Kepler's discovery of the laws of motion of the planets the development is traced through the Dirac equation up to modern advances, which bring the concepts of supersymmetry to bear on the derivation of the solutions.

The book begins with a brief review of supersymmetry, and the construction of the minimal supersymmetric standard model and approaches to supersymmetry breaking. General non-perturbative methods are also reviewed leading to the development of holomorphy and the Affleck-Dine-Seiberg superpotential as powerful tools for analysing supersymmetric theories. Seiberg duality is discussed in detail, with many example applications provided, with special attention paid to its use in understanding dynamical supersysmmetry breaking. The Seiberg-Witten theory of monopoles is introduced through the analysis of simpler N=1 analogues. Superconformal field theories are described along with the most recent development known as "amaximization". Supergravity theories are examined in 4, 10, and 11 dimensions, allowing for a discussion of anomaly and gaugino mediation, and setting the stage for the anti- de Sitter/conformal field theory correspondence. This book is unique in containing an overview of the important developments in supersymmetry since the publication of "Suppersymmetry and Supergravity" by Wess and Bagger. It also strives to cover topics that are of interest to both formal and phenomenological theorists.

Supersymmetry or SUSY, one of the most beautiful recent ideas of physics, predicts sparticles existing as superpartners of particles. This book gives a theoretical and phenomenological account of sparticles. Starting from a basic level, it provides a comprehensive, pedagogical and user-friendly treatment of the subject of four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetry as well as its observational aspects in high energy physics and cosmology. Part One of the book introduces the requisite formal theory, preceded by a discussion of the naturalness problem. Part Two describes the supersymmetrization of the Standard Model of particle interactions as well as the origin of soft supersymmetry breaking and how it can be mediated from higher energies. Search strategies for sparticles, supersymmetric Higgs bosons, nonminimal scenarios and cosmological implications are some of the other topics covered. Novel features of the book include a dictionary between two-component and four-component spinor notation, a step-by-step derivation of the nonrenormalization theorem, an extended discussion of supersymmetric renormalization group evolution, detailed analyses of minimal and nonminimal models with gravity (including anomaly) mediated and gauge mediated supersymmetry breaking as well as elaborate self-contained presentations of collider signals of sparticles plus supersymmetric Higgs bosons and of supersymmetric cosmology. Appendices list all Feynman rules for the vertices of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Contents:Introduction and Overview:Supersymmetry: Why and HowSupersymmetry Formalism:PreliminariesAlgebraic AspectsFree Superfields in SuperspaceInteracting SuperfieldsSuperspace Perturbation Theory and SupergraphsGeneral Aspects of Supersymmetry BreakingSupersymmetry Phenomenology:Basic Structure of the MSSMSoft Supersymmetry Breaking in the MSSMHiggs Bosons in the MSSMEvolution from Very High EnergiesGravity Mediated Supersymmetry BreakingGauge Mediated Supersymmetry BreakingBeyond the MSSMSupersymmetry at CollidersSupersymmetric CosmologyConclusion: Wish List, Roadmap and Fine Tuning Readership: Graduate students, teachers and researchers in theoretical as well as experimental high energy physics. Keywords:Reviews: “I find the book very attractive and very useful at this time. There are not so many up-to-date books for the LHC phenomenology.” G Altarelli CERN “It seeks to be the complete primer on supersymmetry for the theorist, phenomenologist and experimentalist. The presentation is lucid throughout and the notation is well-chosen. This is a highly recommended book for the student of particle physics who has studied the basics of quantum field theory and the phenomenon of the known elementary particles. In addition, it is a handy source of information (and most valuably, explanations) for senior students and practicing physicists in other areas, who will increasingly feel the need to know about the area of fundamental science most finely poised for a dramatic experimental breakthrough.” Current Science “… very informative book on supersymmetric particles …” Professor Barry Barish California Institute of Technology “Very good text. Although suitable for those who want to begin working in the field, nonexperts can get substantial insights into the goals and motivation behind the theory by browsing through. The book begins with a good pedagogical treatment of the superspace formalism and ends with an extensive summary of Feynman rules. About 300 pages cover the phenomenology of supersymmetry — from colliders to dark matter — with significant discussion of supersymmetry breaking and a 30-page chapter on supersymmetric Higgs bosons.” Physics Today

Devoted specifically to modern field theory, this is an indispensable book for graduate students and researchers in theoretical physics. It emphasizes nonperturbative phenomena and supersymmetry, and discusses various phases of gauge theories, extended objects and their quantization, and global supersymmetry from a modern perspective.