Quantum QFT Book Quote: Looking for Source

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around identifying a specific line from a well-known quantum field theory (QFT) textbook that emphasizes the concept of humility in field theory. A participant cites a passage from "Finite Quantum Electrodynamics: The Causal Approach" by G. Scharf, which reflects on the limitations of detailed descriptions in relativistic systems due to the unobservable nature of time behavior and the focus on scattering experiments. This acknowledgment of the inherent modesty required in field theory is highlighted as a key takeaway. The participant expresses relief at finally identifying the source of the quote.
DarMM
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
2,369
Reaction score
1,408
This seems like the best place to ask this.

There is a famous QFT textbook that contains a line like "in field theory one learns humility".

Does anybody happen to know what textbook this is?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Perhaps this one:

"The more one thinks about this situation, the more one is led to the conclusion that one should not insist on a detailed description of the system in time. From the physical point of view, this is not so surprising, because in contrast to non-relativistic quantum mechanics, the time behavior of a relativistic system with creation and annihilation of particles is unobservable. Essentially only scattering experiments are possible, therefore we retreat to scattering theory. One learns modesty in field theory."
G. Scharf, Finite quantum electrodynamics. The causal approach, (Springer, Berlin, 1995)
 
  • Love
Likes DarMM
Thanks! That was driving me mad!
 
The book is fascinating. If your education includes a typical math degree curriculum, with Lebesgue integration, functional analysis, etc, it teaches QFT with only a passing acquaintance of ordinary QM you would get at HS. However, I would read Lenny Susskind's book on QM first. Purchased a copy straight away, but it will not arrive until the end of December; however, Scribd has a PDF I am now studying. The first part introduces distribution theory (and other related concepts), which...
I've gone through the Standard turbulence textbooks such as Pope's Turbulent Flows and Wilcox' Turbulent modelling for CFD which mostly Covers RANS and the closure models. I want to jump more into DNS but most of the work i've been able to come across is too "practical" and not much explanation of the theory behind it. I wonder if there is a book that takes a theoretical approach to Turbulence starting from the full Navier Stokes Equations and developing from there, instead of jumping from...

Similar threads

Replies
9
Views
4K
Replies
1
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
4K
Replies
2
Views
3K
Replies
23
Views
11K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
3K
Back
Top