Operators, geometry and quanta. Methods of spectral geometry in quantum field theory (Q611308)

This book represents an introduction into the theory of spectral functions and their applications to quantum field theory (QFT). The exposition of the main mathematical methods is very detailed. Many examples, from different fields, are given (e.g. finite temperature field theory, anomalies, quantum solitons, noncommutative field theories), and in each case it is shown how the use of general methods allow to obtain interesting and important results in an elegant manner. Moreover, more than a hundred exercises with their solutions help the reader to understand better the topic and make possible the use of this book in lecture courses on physical applications of spectral theory. The book is organized in four parts. In the first part, several basic notions in differential geometry are presented, as well as a systematic discussion of QFT. A specific inner product is introduced, and quantization conditions are defined based on it. This method of quantization allows the authors to arrive faster at the results in the lowest order of the perturbation theory on non-trivial background. Part II is devoted to the spectral geometry. Chapter 3 explains some properties of linear operators, since they are related to classical field equations. In Chapter 4, the heat equation is studied, namely the heat kernel, asymptotics of the heat kernel, the DeWitt approach (a method of evaluating the heat trace asymptotics based on recursion relations between the heat kernel coefficients), and the Gilkey approach (the most powerful and the most general method). Chapter 5 contains definitions of the main spectral functions, presents their properties and methods of computations. Zeta-functions and determinants of differential operators are defined. Transformations of determinants of Laplace type operators under variations of background field are presented, since they will serve later as a basis for calculations of quantum anomalies. Chapter 6 deals with non-linear spectral problems. Part III contains applications to various problems in physics. Chapter 7 is an introduction to the method of effective action, and it is shown how the effective action can be calculated in terms of spectral functions. Spectral geometry methods are used to reproduce a number of known QFT results which are derived usually with the help of Feynman diagrams. Among them are the one-loop effective potential and beta functions in gauge theories. Chapter 8 is devoted to quantum anomalies. In Chapter 9, the authors discuss the methods of calculations of the vacuum energy, with the quantum correction to the kink mass being the principal example. Chapter 10 presents boundary effects in a model of quantized extended one-dimensional objects. Strings have very interesting properties and the authors derive the Born-Infeld action for open strings. The last chapter is devoted to spectral geometry and field theory on noncommutative manifolds, which are studied by using the same universal tools. Noncommutative theories are a beautiful example of how physics and mathematics have a mutual influence. Each chapter contains exercises, which are an integral part of the book. Their solutions can be found in Part IV.