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An Interpretive Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
Quantum mechanics is a subject that has captured the imagination of a surprisingly broad range of thinkers, including many philosophers of science. Quantum field theory, however, is a subject that has been discussed mostly by physicists. This is the first book to present quantum field theory in a manner that makes it accessible to philosophers. Because it presents a lucid view of the theory and debates that surround the theory, An Interpretive Introduction to Quantum Field Theory will interest students of physics as well as students of philosophy.
Paul Teller presents the basic ideas of quantum field theory in a way that is understandable to readers who are familiar with non-relativistic quantum mechanics. He provides information about the physics of the theory without calculational detail, and he enlightens readers on how to think about the theory physically. Along the way, he dismantles some popular myths and clarifies the novel ways in which quantum field theory is both a theory about fields and about particles. His goal is to raise questions about the philosophical implications of the theory and to offer some tentative interpretive views of his own. This provocative and thoughtful book challenges philosophers to extend their thinking beyond the realm of quantum mechanics and it challenges physicists to consider the philosophical issues that their explorations have encouraged.
Paul Teller presents the basic ideas of quantum field theory in a way that is understandable to readers who are familiar with non-relativistic quantum mechanics. He provides information about the physics of the theory without calculational detail, and he enlightens readers on how to think about the theory physically. Along the way, he dismantles some popular myths and clarifies the novel ways in which quantum field theory is both a theory about fields and about particles. His goal is to raise questions about the philosophical implications of the theory and to offer some tentative interpretive views of his own. This provocative and thoughtful book challenges philosophers to extend their thinking beyond the realm of quantum mechanics and it challenges physicists to consider the philosophical issues that their explorations have encouraged.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 29, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 15, 2015
This book is an attempt to explain quantum field theory with more interpretation and less calculational detail than in traditional physics texts. Even so, I found it awfully hard going. The author will give you a page or two of rather general philosophical discussion about the meaning of identity, and then WHAMMO, several pages of very complicated algebra full of not-so-common symbols, (like the commutator sign [a,b].)
Most of the math was over my head, I admit. However, there are a bunch of things I do understand better, having read the book. I used to be terribly confused by the notion of virtual particles. Teller's explanation was beautifully clear, however: "When you calculate out the probability of an interaction with a QFT, you wind up with an infinite series, whose terms are ordered by how many raising and lowering operators there are. It's possible to interpret these operators as creation and annihilation of virtual particles, but they are no more real than the sine waves that make up a fourier decomposition." Given how ad-hoc and messy the math of QFT is, there is no particular reason to think our quirky weird way of writing equations is a precise description of how nature "really works".
Likewise, his discussion of renormalization made reasonably clear sense. As I understand it, any field theory with point particles diverges when self-interaction terms are taken into account naively, but gives wrong answers when simply ignored. Renormalization involves splitting up the self-interaction terms into parts that are going to get ignored (or more precisely, cancelled out by the 'bare' mass or charge), and a part that scales with interaction energy, which is kept. And somehow this actually works out correct to nine significant figures. (!)
I was more or less able to hang on through the book, but I can't recommend it to anybody who doesn't already have a pretty good grip on the basic concepts of quantum mechanics (including the mathematical representation in terms of operators), and linear algebra generally. But if you have the math and the background, there are good things in it.
Most of the math was over my head, I admit. However, there are a bunch of things I do understand better, having read the book. I used to be terribly confused by the notion of virtual particles. Teller's explanation was beautifully clear, however: "When you calculate out the probability of an interaction with a QFT, you wind up with an infinite series, whose terms are ordered by how many raising and lowering operators there are. It's possible to interpret these operators as creation and annihilation of virtual particles, but they are no more real than the sine waves that make up a fourier decomposition." Given how ad-hoc and messy the math of QFT is, there is no particular reason to think our quirky weird way of writing equations is a precise description of how nature "really works".
Likewise, his discussion of renormalization made reasonably clear sense. As I understand it, any field theory with point particles diverges when self-interaction terms are taken into account naively, but gives wrong answers when simply ignored. Renormalization involves splitting up the self-interaction terms into parts that are going to get ignored (or more precisely, cancelled out by the 'bare' mass or charge), and a part that scales with interaction energy, which is kept. And somehow this actually works out correct to nine significant figures. (!)
I was more or less able to hang on through the book, but I can't recommend it to anybody who doesn't already have a pretty good grip on the basic concepts of quantum mechanics (including the mathematical representation in terms of operators), and linear algebra generally. But if you have the math and the background, there are good things in it.
May 18, 2012
Imagine if you wanted to learn about painting, but the only books out there were either glossy coffee-table books or technical manuals for mixing colors, choosing brushes, and drawing perspective lines. This has been the situation facing those of us interested in learning about the quantum world. On the one hand, there are popular-level books and magazine articles, which can be excellent but rely on analogies and metaphors; on the other, there are textbooks, which are geared toward physicists who intend to apply the theory and need to learn all the calculational tricks.
This book plugs the gap. It is like a book on painting that gives you some details about how artists create works of beauty, but doesn’t assume you actually want to be an artist yourself. Teller's book is mathematical and takes some effort to get through, but deepened my understanding of quantum physics in a way that no other book has done.
Its main flaw is that it’s now out of date, in particular on renormalization. For that, I recommend the latest edition of Tony Zee's "Quantum FIeld Theory in a Nutshell".
This book plugs the gap. It is like a book on painting that gives you some details about how artists create works of beauty, but doesn’t assume you actually want to be an artist yourself. Teller's book is mathematical and takes some effort to get through, but deepened my understanding of quantum physics in a way that no other book has done.
Its main flaw is that it’s now out of date, in particular on renormalization. For that, I recommend the latest edition of Tony Zee's "Quantum FIeld Theory in a Nutshell".
April 30, 2022
Not a book for the ages.
I don't like false advertising. This is not an introduction to quantum field theory for philosophers. Physicists will find the philosophical chapters tedious. Lots of tedious agonizing philosophizing ( in the bad sense ) over the what the meaning of is is. Non physicists will find the technical chapters incomprehensible. They are quite technical and more an analysis of what the author finds puzzling than any kind of meaningful or readily comprehensible introduction. Which is of some value but not what the cover says it is. Though I did like the final chapter on ways of trying to understand renormalization and at least got something out of that.
It seems to be a copy of an old book. The publication date of which is not given in the ebook version. But the author has a very old fashioned understanding of superposition - lingering traces of the Copenhagen interpretation - which gives us a clue.
Finally the production quality is poor. There was a photocopier involved in the process at some point.
This and absurdly high prices for low quality goods seems to be a feature of physics books from Princeton University Press. This would be a good reason for avoiding them.
I don't like false advertising. This is not an introduction to quantum field theory for philosophers. Physicists will find the philosophical chapters tedious. Lots of tedious agonizing philosophizing ( in the bad sense ) over the what the meaning of is is. Non physicists will find the technical chapters incomprehensible. They are quite technical and more an analysis of what the author finds puzzling than any kind of meaningful or readily comprehensible introduction. Which is of some value but not what the cover says it is. Though I did like the final chapter on ways of trying to understand renormalization and at least got something out of that.
It seems to be a copy of an old book. The publication date of which is not given in the ebook version. But the author has a very old fashioned understanding of superposition - lingering traces of the Copenhagen interpretation - which gives us a clue.
Finally the production quality is poor. There was a photocopier involved in the process at some point.
This and absurdly high prices for low quality goods seems to be a feature of physics books from Princeton University Press. This would be a good reason for avoiding them.
July 7, 2022
I'm still learning nonrelativistic quantum mechanics but came across Paul Teller's book and decided to work through it as a kind of primer for Field Theory. The level of the book is very good, with just enough mathematical detail that one can think about and anticipate what a more detailed account will entail. I especially liked Teller's coverage of the philosophical aspects of the field. It really underscores the different way of thinking of physicists and mathematicians.
A few of the passages in the book, and quite a few footnotes, delved into more detail or required knowledge that I didn't possess, but I suspect their inclusion will be appreciated by those who already have a firm grasp of Field Theory and are reading the book for additional insight.
A few of the passages in the book, and quite a few footnotes, delved into more detail or required knowledge that I didn't possess, but I suspect their inclusion will be appreciated by those who already have a firm grasp of Field Theory and are reading the book for additional insight.
August 7, 2011
Un bon livre pour s'introduire au sujet, mais certaines sections datent un peu.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews