Symmetries in fundamental physics (Q5920335): Difference between revisions

The book under review is the second edition of [Symmetries in fundamental physics. Cham: Springer (2014; Zbl 1287.81005)]. The main idea of the book is ``to explore established physics and introduce modern particle physics and relativity physics following the golden thread of symmetries''. The book is neither a textbook for beginners, nor a monograph for experts. It is something intermediate. Actually it is a concise and mathematically rigorous introduction to some part theoretical physics (of course not all theoretical physics is based on symmetry, thus this is not introduction to the all areas of classical theoretical physics (for example the statistical physics is not touched), but also modern areas such as for example string theory are not mentioned in the book). The author compares his book with \textit{A. Zee} [Quantum field theory in a nutshell. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (2003; Zbl 1048.81002)] and says that the present book is close in spirit to this one, but is more mathematical. The contents of the book are the following. Chapter 1 is the introduction. Chapter 2 is devoted to classical mechanics. The Noether theorem is proved and it is applied to Galilei symmetry of classical mechanics. In the second edition discussion of geometric interpretation of classical mechanics and Noether theorem is added. Chapter 3 is named ``Electrodynamics and special relativity''. The Noether theorem is considered for local and global symmetries. They are applied to Poincaré symmetry. In the second edition the chapter devoted to generalizations of Poincaré group is added, they are the conformal symmetry and the de Sitter group. Chapter 4 is devoted to quantum mechanics. Here, the Wigner theorem is proved and a relation between the group symmetry and the group representation is discussed. Chapter 5 is named ``Relativistic field theory''. The chapter begins with a discussion of the relativistic Poincaré group and the group \(\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb C)\). The restrictions on the actions on the QFT (Quantum Field Theory) action produced by these symmetries are derived. Further the spontaneous symmetry braking is discussed. Then discrete symmetries and CPT theorem are discussed. Finally the renormalization in QFT and the renormalization group are explained. In Chapter 6 the particle physics is discussed, more precise, the quantum chromodynamics and Glashow-Salam-Weinberg model of electroweak interactions are discussed. For both theories the Lagrangian, the spontaneous symmetry braking and it's consequences are discussed. Chapter 7 is devoted to general relativity. It begins with exploration of Riemann-Cartan geometry, and general relativity is defined. Further an interpretation of gravitation as a gauge theory is given. Chapter 8 is added to the second edition. It is devoted to grand unification theories, Kaluza-Klein theory, supersymmetry. Chapter 9 is a conclusion of the main part of the book. The book end with 5 appendices which are devoted to group theory, spinors, supersymmetry, , differential geometry. Also there are sppendices devoted to constrained dynamics, Yang-Mills theories, path-theoretic formulation of QFT and BRST symmetries. Some of these sppendices are added in the second edition.