A Beginner's Guide to Quantum Field Theory

[cragar]

What is a good to book to start reading about quantum field theory?

 

[Stan Marsh]

I believe the one by Srendnicki is very good for a starter. You can see detailed comments on amazon.

 

[waht]

I'm not a physics major, but I've grinded through Srednicki, Zee, and Radovanovic: Solved problem in QFT

https://www.amazon.com/dp/3540770135/?tag=pfamazon01-20

I would say those are the best.

The others I tried to study was Ryder, Maggiore, Weinberg, and Peskin. Ryder, and Maggiore was not to my taste. I can really appreciate Weinberg and Peskin, but they are too difficult for starters.

I've heard that Mandel is the way to go too.

 

[nicksauce]

Another one not mentioned, that I like, is Field Quantization by Greiner and Reinhardt.

 

[matonski]

I like Gauge Theories in Particle Physics by Aitchison and Hey.

 

[Daverz]

I'd also recommend Aitchison & Hey for a first pass. Very good on the basics. I haven't picked up volume 2, though. Only canonical quantization is covered, no path integrals.

The previously mentioned Greiner is also very good on the basics, but because they don't bother with $\phi^4$ theory or other "toy" Lagrangians, they take a long time to get to Feynman diagrams.

I think Zee is very good, but he seems so breezy and deceptively "easy" that he should be supplemented with a book that shows more of the gory details like Srednicki, Brown, Ramond, or Ryder.

Srednicki is very good, but I think his opening chapters are actually kind of confusing for a beginner.

 

[George Jones]

I, too, recommend Aitchison and Hey for self-study, but only if the expanded two-volume 2003 edition is used (even if only the first volume is studied).

 

[dextercioby]

If you want take it easy, then start with Zee's book. I would do it.

 

[cragar]

thanks for the replies