String Theory: Volume 1, An Introduction to the Bosonic String 1st Edition by Joseph Polchinski (PDF)

Description

String Theory comprises two volumes which give a comprehensive and pedagogic account of the subject. Volume 1, first published in 1998, provides a thorough introduction to the bosonic string. The first four chapters introduce the central ideas of string theory, the tools of conformal field theory and of the Polyakov path integral, and the covariant quantization of the string. The next three chapters treat string interactions: the general formalism, and detailed treatments of the tree level and one loop amplitudes. Chapter eight covers toroidal compactification and many important aspects of string physics, such as T-duality and D-branes. Chapter nine treats higher-order amplitudes, including an analysis of their finiteness and unitarity, and various nonperturbative ideas. An appendix giving a short course on path integral methods is included. This is an essential text and reference for graduate students and researchers interested in modern superstring theory.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This is an excellent follow-up to the Zwiebach book. It deals solely with bosonic strings but at a more mathematically challenging level than Zwiebach. Early on in the section on the Polyakov path integral it is shown that the Euclidean path (Wick-rotated, imaginary time, resulting exponentially damped convergence factor) integral gives equivalent results to the real time Minkowski form, unfortunately the easy proof works only in 2 dimensions. This section follows a lengthy introduction to conformal field theory, hence the 2 dimensions. Little unexpected gems like this are scattered throughout the text. The author, a leading string theorist-discoverer of D-branes(1995)- assumes the reader is fluent in theoretical particle physics, Feynman path integration, and gauge field theory. He frequently pulls examples from these fields to motivate his development which is pedagogically satisfying if you’re fluent. The Cheng-Li text on gauge theory gives a lot of this background and thorough knowledge of Wigner’s classification won’t hurt. Knowledge of Lie groups, algebras, representations, and graded algebras (Anthony Knapp books help) will certainly counter feelings of inadequacy too. String theory is ill-defined and in a state of exploration and development. The questions you believe you can ask in QFT and hope to answer(existence of bound states?) are meaningless now. For good or bad this flavor is conveyed here. This volume and the second one are a good choice for those who’d like an introduction as well as indications of future developments in string theory.

⭐No matter how old you are, you don’t really want the world of scientific advancements to pass you by. String theory is poised to link gravity, light and the electromagnetic spectrum together. It is amazing what string theory is proposing for us to consider, to explain how the universe actually works and how scientists arrived at this point in the theory’s development, thus far. Just remember that it remains theory until it can be proven experimentally, hopefully, without blowing-up the universe. But, not to worry, scientists are remarkably careful and meticulous in their work. If you left your exploration of particle physics before the predicted boson was uncovered, you have a lot of catching up to do. Imagine now that all such subatomic particles may be able to travel through space as an energy wave and may be paired or multiply connected to particles, on the other side of the universe. Catching up is not difficult with books available to the public; and you don’t have to become a “nerd” to do so.

⭐The equations are unreadably small… the font fr them is less than half the size of the rest of the text. They are also uncentered. The pages are so ugly that it made me physically ill to look at them, so I bought another version.

⭐Pretty useful

⭐Interesting but you need to have a good education in higher mathematics, particularly that around particle physics or it will be incomprehensible. Not a book for the layman.

⭐very well written it goes into a lot of detail that other books don’t cover. definitely need to get the second volume

⭐Good quality, delivered fast.

⭐thank you

⭐The contents of the book are fine- but the book had several scratches on the cover when I got it. Can’t be bothered to get a replacement, but still disappointed.

⭐A Great book for a great physicists, R.I.P Joe

⭐This is the standard text to learn string theory. This volume covers the bosonic string, its quantization and spectrum, tree level and one loop amplitudes, D-branes, and some comments about higher level amplitudes. The book is quite well-written. Everything is presented with great care, but not always with great detail. Many calculations are skipped, or just barely given. It also assumes that you are very comfortable with the language and techniques of non-abelian gauge theories. As Ron Maimon says on physics.stackexchange, you need to have read at least the first volume of Weinberg’s QFT book. I have not (yet), and I believe I did not understand more than half (by a conservative estimate) of the ‘physical/philosophical’ comments made in the book on the general nature of string theory. I hope to get back to it after reading Weinberg.On the whole though, this book will make you familiar with many great things. The price to pay is the very large background required, and the huge effort to really get through the book.

⭐Tutto ok

⭐Not found.

⭐This is a complex mathematical work , not a popular science reading. String theory is no longer what it was hoped to be. This is interesting, as string theory potentially provided infinite answere, not telling which was the right one. I feel moral relativism took a few pages from this theory.

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