By Matthew D Schwartz
Cambridge University Press
Also available at the CERN bookshop
Providing a comprehensive and modern introduction to quantum field theory, this textbook covers the development of particle physics from its foundations to the recent discovery of the Brout–Englert–Higgs boson. Based on a course taught by the author at Harvard University for many years, the text starts from the principle that quantum field theory (QFT) is primarily a theory of physics and, as such, it provides a set of tools for performing practical calculations. The book develops field theory, quantum electrodynamics, renormalisation and the Standard Model, including modern approaches and state-of-the-art calculation techniques.
With a combination of intuitive explanations of abstract concepts, experimental data and mathematical rigour, the author makes the subject accessible to students with different backgrounds and interests.