Best Intro to Quantum Field Theory Article?

[Geremia]

I have pretty good handle on non-relativistic quantum mechanics, but I would like to learn about the Standard Model (Quantum Field Theory). What is the best introductory book and/or introductory article on QFT? Thanks

Here are some I've heard of:

Articles

• "[URL Model: An Introduction
  Authors: S. F. Novaes (Instituto de Fisica Teorica, UNESP)[/URL]

Books

• B. de Wit and J. Smith. Field Theory in Particle Physics. North Holland, 1986.
• I. Aitchison and A. Hey. Gauge Theories in Particle Physics. Adam Hilger, 1989.
• L. Ryder. Quantum Field Theory. Cambridge Univ. Press, 1985.
• C. Itzykson and B. Zuber. Quantum Field Theory. McGraw Hill, New York, 1980.
• T. Cheng and L. Li. Gauge theory of elementary particle physics. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1984.

 

[cesiumfrog]

Ultimately you'll want serious textbooks, like Srednicki (online) or Zee, but at a beginner level I'd consider "qft demystified" and resources such as:Notes of an adult education course "about" (not "on") QFT, that is, a conceptual overview designed to build a grounding from which serious texts will be accessible.
http://homepage.mac.com/stevepur/physics/matter/

"Preschool problems" (! ...from the postgrad high energy physics summer school at Oxford) explaining classical field theory (which most people now aren't taught before they become interested in QFT).
http://hepwww.rl.ac.uk/hepsummerschool/

Crash-course in'duction to QFT. This races through two different approaches to deriving QFT (one of which is to quantise classical field theory) then proceeds to actually calculate stuff (scattering and particle decay, to lowest order so as to omit renormalisation). What makes these notes simple is that (like part I of Srednicki) they restrict attention to scalar particles (..such as pions) rather than simultaneously introducing spin, etc.
http://www.hep.manchester.ac.uk/u/forshaw/NorthWest/QFT.html

 

[atyy]

http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/qft.html

 

[Geremia]

After doing a little research, this one appears the best:

I. Aitchison and A. Hey. Gauge Theories in Particle Physics

 

[Demystifier]

I like Cheng-Li and Ryder.

 

[George Jones]

After doing a little research, this one appears the best:

I don't think there is a "best" book.

I. Aitchison and A. Hey. Gauge Theories in Particle Physics. Adam Hilger, 1989.

I don't know that much about quantum Field theory, but I would recommend this for self-study. For self-study, however, I think the expanded two-volume 2003 edition is better.

 

[ansgar]

I would recommend this one as background:

http://arxiv.org/abs/0810.3328

 

[xepma]

I think anyone serious about QFT will read at least 3-4 books about it, if not more. Different authors have different viewpoints, and in the end you simply need to develop your own.

I highly recommend Tong's lecture notes as a first exposure (see post from atyy). Also, for a more condensed matter oriented book you should try the book by Micheal Stone.