What are the best beginner books on QED to explore during the holidays?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for beginner books on Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) that participants can explore during the holidays. The focus is on accessible literature for those not formally studying the subject in their courses.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests "QED" by Richard Feynman as a fundamental read for beginners.
  • Another participant recommends "Quantum Revolution II: QED: The Jewel Of Physics" by G. Venkataraman, noting potential availability issues.
  • Some participants express difficulty in finding books online and prefer not to purchase them due to their course not covering QED.
  • Dyson's advanced quantum mechanics is mentioned as having some coverage of QED, with a link provided to an arXiv paper.
  • Srednicki's QFT textbook is noted for its modern approach to QED, though its suitability for beginners is questioned.
  • One participant suggests searching for "Feynman" on mininova.org for downloadable lectures as a cost-effective alternative.
  • Another participant advises checking local libraries for popular books on QED.
  • A participant mentions the cost of books in India, expressing that even a low price can be significant.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the importance of Feynman's work but express differing views on the availability and accessibility of other recommended texts. There is no consensus on a single best resource, and multiple suggestions are presented.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express limitations in accessing physical copies of books and the relevance of the material to their current studies. The discussion reflects varying levels of familiarity with QED and differing financial considerations.

mkbh_10
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Suggest some good books in QED for a beginner ? I have holidays going on after my exams so thought if i could study something new on my own (i don't know how much will i be able to grasp ) although its not in my course .
 
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QED by Richard Feynman
 
QED by Richard Feynman is a MUST of course.

You should also have a look at "Quantum Revolution II: QED: The Jewel Of Physics" by G. Venkataraman (http://www.universitiespress.com/display.asp?categoryID=&isbn=978-81-7371-003-2" ). I don't know whether it would be easily available in your part of the world.
 
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I can't find one on net & don't want to purchase one as it will not be of any use as my course doesn't cover this , any ebook site link pls ?
 
mkbh_10 said:
I can't find one on net & don't want to purchase one as it will not be of any use as my course doesn't cover this , any ebook site link pls ?

Dyson's advanced qm has some coverage of qed, and he was one of the founders of the theory.
http://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0608140

Srednicki's qft textbook does the basics of spin 1 field theory, the only thing you should know is that one of the things that he wanted to do different from other books was to move away from all those cumbersome old qed calculations to more modern topics, so I don't know how happy you will be with this, but it's worth a shot--
http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/~mark/qft.html
 
mkbh_10 said:
I can't find one on net & don't want to purchase one as it will not be of any use as my course doesn't cover this , any ebook site link pls ?
It's less than 12 bucks at amazon.

If you really don't want to spend 12 bucks then search for "feynman" at mininova.org and download the "NZ lectures".
 
mkbh_10 said:
I can't find one on net & don't want to purchase one as it will not be of any use as my course doesn't cover this , any ebook site link pls ?

Did you try checking your local library? I wouldn't be surprised if they were to have it, since it is a very popular book.
 
i have downloaded ebooks from mininova , already read the book The strage theory of light & matter upto the electron portion .

I am in India so 12 buicks will mean around Rs 600 which is a lot
 

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