Physics 215c, Quantum Field Theory part 3, 2020

Professor: Ken Intriligator, Mayer Hall 5234.

Here is the final presentation schedule.

Text: The lectures will largely follow these free, online notes:

  • David Tong's Lectures on Gauge Theory.

    Other recommended resources:

    John McGreevy's 215c lecture notes.

    John Preskill's QFT lecture notes.

    Recommended book Coleman's Aspects of Symmetry. It is possible to get free access to the online version from UCSD (via VPN).

    Course Times: MW 3:30-4:50pm, via Zoom. Office hours: Thursdays, 11:30am-1:00pm, via Zoom. Recorded lectures will be posted on canvas for enrolled students who have to miss lecture. There was a disclaimer in lecture 1 that participating in the zoom session gives consent to post these recordings.

    Information about grading and the final, HW assignments, etc will be posted on Canvas. The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 3:00-6pm. All enrolled students should attend the final exam, give a 10 minute keynote or powerpoint presentation on a QFT topic of their choice (plus answer questions in a few allotted extra minutes), and also turn in a 5-7 page paper on the topic. Some final presentation topic ideas (will be updated) are here.

    Topics (subject to change): non-Abelian gauge theory basics, theta term, instantons, perturbative calculations in non-Abelian gauge theory and asymptotic freedom in UV, IR phases of gauge theories, Higgs mechanism and examples, 't Hooft-Polyakov monopoles, anomalies including ABJ, gauge anomalies, 't Hooft anomalies, domain wall Fermions and anomaly inflow, chiral symmetry breaking, large N methods.

    My 215a course webpage from 2019

    • lecture# topic (and link to notes) Homework
    3/30 Symmetry, gauge theory, QED, non-Abelian group theory          
    4/1 Notation and forms, global aspects of u(1) vs R, monopoles, q quantization   HW 1 (due 4/6)        
    4/6 Global u(1), theta term   HW 2 (due 4/15)        
    4/8 Theta term cont, non-Abelian gauge theories          
    4/13 Non-Abelian gauge theories, cont.          
    4/15 Non-Abelian theta term   HW 3 (due 4/24)        
    4/20 Theta term and instantons          
    4/22 Instantons, cont.   HW 4 (due May 1)        
    4/27 Schwinger production, RG for non Yang-Mills vs Yang-Mills          
    4/29 Nonabelian gauge theory perturbation theory and ghosts          
    5/4 Ghosts, BRST, renormalization, beta function   HW 5 due May 11        
    5/6 Beta function, continued          
    5/11 RG running, possible fixed points, possible unification   HW 6 (Due May 18)        
    5/13 SSB and NGBs          
    5/18 QCD and the pions          
    5/20 WZW term, Higgs and others, anomalies   HW 7 (due May 29)        
    5/27 Non-abelian Higging, 't Hooft Polyakov monopoles, anomalies          
    6/1 Anomalies, cont.          
    6/3 Anomalies, cont.