String book for the undergrad level

[daniel_i_l]

Is there a book that a motivated undergrad can use to understand the basics of string theory (in a mathematical way)?
Thanks.

 

[neutrino]

I think Zweibach's might be the book you're looking for. I haven't read it, but I know it's meant for undergrads.

 

[Demystifier]

Yes, Zwiebach rules!

 

[PhilosophyofPhysics]

Zwiebach does rule. It's nice to be able to go a little beyond the pop physics books and see some mathematics. My only problem is that I've not learned PDE or CoV yet. :(

 

[lushsector9]

An Easy book that is very helpful

Brian Greene has two books out The elegant universe and the fabric of the cosmos both are good but the elegant universe was written in simplistic terms with concrete examples its a must read... if your too lazy NOVA did a three part special on it

 

[simic4]

i say take qft from your physics department. then read zwiebach and polchinski simultaneously. after learning some qft many things become accessible.

 

[AlphaNumeric2]

^ Definitely. If you're not familiar with quantum field theory (and very few universities do it before the 4th year) then much of string theory is going to be lost on you. Stuff like Lie algebras is in a similar vein, the details of them aren't often taught to undergrads (I'm not counting a 4th year Masters) but they are essential to string theory, indeed any QFT, when you get down to representations of how various symmetries or transforms work.

 

[Demystifier]

then read zwiebach and polchinski simultaneously.

I don't think it is a good idea. After Zwiebach (which says too little about SUPERstrings), I would suggest a shorter pedagogic introduction:
http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/hep-th/0207142
Among more advanced textbooks on string theory I prefer the one by Kaku (Intro to superstrings and M-theory), despite the fact that professionals usually prefer Green-Schwarz-Witten, Polchinski, and the recent Becker-Becker-Schwarz.

 

[waht]

Also stay tuned for "string theory demystified" to come out in May,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071498702/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[Emmanuel114]

I don't think it is a good idea. After Zwiebach (which says too little about SUPERstrings), I would suggest a shorter pedagogic introduction:
http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/hep-th/0207142
Among more advanced textbooks on string theory I prefer the one by Kaku (Intro to superstrings and M-theory), despite the fact that professionals usually prefer Green-Schwarz-Witten, Polchinski, and the recent Becker-Becker-Schwarz.

Damn, that looks nice.

 

[malawi_glenn]

I would like to try the "string theory demystified" and "Quantum field theory demystified", I do not major in theoretical physics, but I am very intresseted and my friend has just read Zwiebach and he also does higgs boson decay simulation as his diploma work.

I have also find this paper, it is a diploma work at my university, he wrote an Introductory book about string theory:
http://www.teorfys.uu.se/courses/exjobb/roadtoTOE.pdf