Physics 215c, Quantum Field Theory, Spring 2013

Professor: John McGreevy
Office: 5222 Mayer Hall
mcgreevy at physics.ucsd.edu
Office Hours: Thursdays 2:30 -- colloquium, or by appointment. 

Homework and solutions
Lecture notes and other materials
Announcements Date
Thanks for helping to make this class interesting.
I've posted the final papers I've received so far here . Now we get to read them all!
2013.06.13
Submission instructions for the final paper: please give me a paper copy and also email me a pdf copy. It would save me a little time if you name the file in the following format:
2013S-215C-YourLastName-YourFirstName.pdf
2013.06.07
A reminder: I am planning to give two make-up lectures during finals week, at the usual time and place.

This means that the paper is due on Thursday 2013.06.13.

Note that I have posted pset 6. The nominal deadline is this Thursday.

You will have the opportunity to do one more problem set (7), which I will post soon.

2013.06.03
Here is a tex template for the end-term paper. 2013.05.13
Alas, there is no lecture next week as I will be at this meeting. The next lecture (on Wilsonian RG) will be May 14.

Here is the paper assignment and a preliminary, by-no-means-exhaustive list of some possible topics. I will add to the list as I think of more topics.

I graded the first two problem sets. If you are very eager to get yours back please come by my office on Friday, May 3.

The fourth problem set is posted and due Thurs, May 16, 2013.

2013.05.02
I've posted the third problem set, due next Thurs, May 2, 2013. I will post the solutions to problem set 02 after all the stragglers hand theirs in. I may have to start taking off points. 2013.04.23
I've posted solutions to the first problem set on the homework page. I think you will find the discussion of the scale invariant QM problem illuminating, even if you solved all the parts. 2013.04.12
The deadline for Problem Set 02 is Tuesday, April 23. Relative to the version I posted yesterday I've improved some wording and added a third problem. 2013.04.10
I've written and posted Problem Set 02. Please tell me if you find typos or points that are not clear. 2013.04.09
When typos in the problem set are brought to my attention I will fix them in red on the problem set statement. Thanks to Minyoung You and Nirag Kadakia for drawing first blood. 2013.04.04
Our classroom has moved from the broomcloset in Center Hall to Mayer Hall 5301. I hope everyone received the email about this from the physics department in time. 2013.04.04
I've posted Problem Set 01 on the homework page. Please let me know if you find (or even merely suspect) errors or typos. 2013.04.03
Welcome to Physics 215C! Please look at the administrative information posted on the lecture notes and handouts page. Some highlights are listed below. 2013.03.28

Text: My lecture notes.
Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell by A. Zee, 2nd edition. (Available electronically from the UCSD library.)

Other possibly useful texts, which have been placed on reserve at S&E Library, include:

Gauge fields and strings by A.M. Polyakov
Aspects of Symmetry by S. Coleman (Available electronically from the UCSD library.)
Quantum field theory of many-body systems by X. G. Wen
Quantum Phase Transitions by S. Sachdev
Boulevard of broken symmetries: effective field theories of condensed matter by Adriaan M.J. Schakel
Field theories of condensed matter systems by Eduardo Fradkin
Condensed Matter Field Theory by Alexander Altland And Ben Simons (Available electronically from the UCSD library.)
Statistical Physics Of Fields Mehran Kardar

Also recommended:
Modern Quantum Field Theory by Tom Banks
Quantum Field Theory by Mark Srednicki
The Physics of Quantum Fields Mike Stone

Course Times: Lecture: T-Th 11:00-12:20, Mayer Hall 5301

Homework: Yes. Due in class (or dropped off earlier).

Exams: No.

Final paper: Yes, but a short one.