(free kindle) Gauge Theories in Particle Physics by Aitchison & Hey

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around free resources for learning gauge theories in particle physics, specifically highlighting various textbooks and their significance to participants' educational experiences. The scope includes personal anecdotes about the utility of these texts in quantum field theory (QFT) courses and informal recommendations of literature.

Discussion Character

  • Meta-discussion
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Participants share links to free Kindle versions of "Gauge Theories in Particle Physics" by Aitchison & Hey, and "Introduction to Gauge Field Theory" by Bailin and Love.
  • One participant expresses that "Introduction to Gauge Field Theory" was a crucial resource during their undergraduate studies, indicating a personal connection to the text.
  • Another participant mentions that the QFT course at their university has been based on Bailin and Love's text for many years.
  • Several participants discuss their experiences with various QFT textbooks, including Peskin and Schroeder, Srednicki, and Zee, noting their strengths and weaknesses in facilitating understanding of the material.
  • There is a mention of recommendations for additional texts, such as Ramond and Weinberg, reflecting a diversity of resources considered valuable by participants.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the value of the mentioned textbooks, but there are differing opinions on which resources are most effective for learning QFT. No consensus is reached on a singular best approach or text.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference their personal experiences with specific textbooks, which may not reflect broader academic consensus on the effectiveness of these resources. The discussion includes subjective evaluations of the texts' pedagogical approaches.

Who May Find This Useful

Students and educators in physics, particularly those interested in gauge theories and quantum field theory, may find the shared resources and personal insights beneficial.

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Likes   Reactions: dextercioby, vanhees71 and Demystifier
That was (and is) also one of my favorites too when learning QFT in the path-integral formalism.
 
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dextercioby said:
The QFT course at my university was (probably after 20 yrs still is) based on B&L.
We had Peskin and Schroeder...
But I bought Srednicki and Zee, and was recommended by another professor to look up B&L and Ramond!
After that, I tried to tackle Weinberg... have still not come far in those books :)
 
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Zee makes you feel you grasp the material rather quickly, but it is, in my opinion, the first-time textbook. I own Srednicki, but I've never tried it, and there are so many recommendations about that book. I'm reading Peskin and Schroeder and the impression is it is very strong in allowing the reader to jump into the research literature immediately.
 
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