Learn about Dimensional Regularization

[DMESONS]

Hi guys,

I want to learn about Dimensional Regularization for the electron self energy. Can you help by providing me the best book or notes for this purpose”it's a self study”?

Thanks for you help.

 

[wlln]

Hi guys,

I want to learn about Dimensional Regularization for the electron self energy. Can you help by providing me the best book or notes for this purpose”it's a self study”?

Thanks for you help.

You can see the an introdution to quantum field theory (Michael E. Peskin)

 

[smallphi]

Recommending Peskin is like saying the best book to learn english is the phone directory ...

The current best textbook on QFT is probably by Mark Srednicki.

 

[humanino]

That's like saying the best book to learn english is the phonebook ...

• wlln did not say Peskin's book is the best
• Peskin is certainly more popular than Srednicki's, at least today and until that changes your comment is nothing but advertising
• Comparing Peskin's book to a phonebook is franckly offending. From the very book YOU quote "I (that is your favorite author) would not want to be without my well-worn copies of [2 books and then] Introduction to Quantum Field Theory by Michael E. Peskin".
• There is no clear reason why this book should be popular. It is neither technical nor conceptual. I'd be better off with my copy of Peskin's and Zee's than buying yet another book which does less than the combination of the two others, each one clearly dedicated to being complete in its own goal.

 

[smallphi]

"Popularity" i.e. what is considered 'standard textbook' in the american curricula often doesn't correlate with pedagogical qualities. It's enough to compare the reviews on Amazon.com on Peskin and on Srednicki to understand why Srednicki is the choice for a student that actually want to understand QFT vs. Peskin for student that wants to be 'informed'. I frankly don't care what Srednicki said about Peskin's book, I've had a course that used Peskin and it's simply a phone book that won't enlighten any beginner - even elementary topics properly discussed in other books sound 'mysterious' in Peskin cause the book is too busy to 'cover' lots of material than explain it understandably with necessary details to a beginner. Of course Srednicki is not going to bash the competition, that is considered unprofessional, but why write a whole new textbook if Peskin is so damn good ? LOL. I on the other hand am free to express my opinion based on my practical experience with Peskin - don't bother buying it ...

By the way Srednicki has a free pdf online so you don't have to waste any money on it.

 

[humanino]

"Popularity" i.e. what is considered 'standard textbook' in the american curricula

I have not undergone such a thing as american curriculum. When I say popular, I am talking about the use among professionals. Just walk around in the offices, and you can see for yourself. Your personal opinion has little weight against that, and the reason I reacted to your post is that you called Peskin's work a "phonebook", which I consider insulting. Maybe it is too difficult for you, and you are indeed free to express it.

 

[smallphi]

By 'phonebook' I mean a reference book like MTW in gravity. If you do research in the field, you often check stuff in those books, but they are totally unsuited for beginners that need the most basic conceptual layers covered carefully and in detail. This thread is about pedagogical books for beginners not popular references for professionals.

Peskin is still used as the main text for grad courses in QFT, something I find as ridiculous as for example using "Handbook of Mathematical Functions" by Abramowitz and Stegun to teach math classes lol. Peskin is simply a comprehensive overview and reference but a textbook for beginners or 'Introduction to QFT' it's simply not.

 

[humanino]

they are totally unsuited for beginners that need the most basic conceptual layers covered carefully and in detail. This thread is about pedagogical books for beginners not popular references for professionals.

Well, since you like so much to give your personal opinion, I'll give mine. I studied and introduced myself to QFT with Weinberg's books, which is even more in-depth than Peskin's. Peskin is far from being "difficult". Difficult books on QFT would be for instance at the level of the QFT part of "Quantum fields and strings : a course for mathematicians" in two volumes by IAS. That would be a technical reference professionals would call "phonebook" and not recommand for an introduction.

The level of Peskin is well-suited to study seriously a field you would intend to actually understand and contribute to. If you find it too difficult, I see either you are studying too early because you lack basis for it, or you are not suited to become a professional. This is just my personal opinion.

 

[smallphi]

How exactly you know Peskin is 'well suited for study' when you learned from Weinberg? I tried to study from Peskin, and by the way I was in the top 5% of the class. I always ended up reading another book and then understanding stuff that Peskin should have explained.

Bottom line is, if you want to repeat like a parrot stuff you don't understand neither conceptually nor in mathematical details, read Peskin. If you really want to achieve deep understanding of the same stuff, read Srednicki. And that is my 'personal opinion' as well as the opinion of Amazon.com reviewers that are beginners like me, not professionals.

 

[humanino]

I was in the top 5% of the class.

What percentage of this class per year produces professional ? I don't wish to argue on that anymore, I said what I had to say.

 

[DMESONS]

Dear walln

Thanks for your reply. I have used this book. My question is about the Dimensional Regularization”D.R”, I need a reference such as a book or notes to get full understanding. Pekin did use this technique only for the photon self energy and I don’t know how can we apply this technique to the electron self energy and find “delta m”.Dears “samallphi, and humanino”

I enjoy reading your comments. You’re very innovative “this is my personal opinion ”

Honestly, this is the first time I heard about Srednicki book. I will try to get it.

Thanks for your discussion.

 

[humanino]

I certainly don't mean to kick you out of here, but there is right now a discussion about [thread=244928]dimensional regularization[/color][/thread] in the "Quantum physics" sub-forum. If you have access to an account you can even download right now "Introduction to the technique of dimensional regularization" by George Leibbrandt in Rev. Mod. Phys. 47, 849 - 876 (1975), a link being given there.

 

[DMESONS]

Thanks for your concern.