Learning N=4 SYM for the Uninitiated

[negru]

Hi
I'm trying to understand how N=4 SYM works, but I can't find anything very helpful, only very technical articles. Assuming that I have the basics (or at least currently working on it) of your basic QFT from Peskin, Srednicki etc, what would be the next step? Conformal field theory? Supersymmetry by itself?
All the SYM papers on arxiv which I find are only ads/cft spam :) which assume a lot of background so it's hard to filter through them all..I'm looking for something that starts from scratch, has examples, explains how you use all the extra symmetries, etc.

Any recommendations would be great!

 

[javierR]

I would start with supersymmetry (N=1), while the conformal field theory you need for a basic understanding of N=4 SYM can be obtained from AdS/CFT reviews. If you have a science library nearby, try the lengthy review, which focuses on N=1 (and some bits about extended susy):
M. Sohnius, Phys.Rept.128:39-204,1985
Online, it's tough to find what you're looking for. There is a brief review lectures of N=1 and N=4 susy for the purposes of AdS/CFT:
Freedman and D'Hoker, hep-th/0201253

Good luck

 

[negru]

Cool, thanks! I found it online, it looks like real solid work, just what I was looking for :D