Limit search to available items
Book Cover
E-book
Author Burgess, Mark, 1966-

Title Classical covariant fields / Mark Burgess
Published Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2002

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xx, 529 pages) : illustrations
Series Cambridge monographs on mathematical physics
Cambridge monographs on mathematical physics.
Contents pt. 1. Fields. 1. Introduction. 2. The electromagnetic field. 3. Field parameters. 4. The action principle. 5. Classical field dynamics. 6. Statistical interpretation of the field. 7. Examples and applications -- pt. 2. Groups and fields. 8. Field transformations. 9. Spacetime transformations. 10. Kinematical and dynamical transformations. 11. Position and momentum. 12. Charge and current. 13. The non-relativistic limit. 14. Unified kinematics and dynamics. 15. Epilogue: quantum field theory -- pt. 3. Reference: a compendium of fields. 16. Gallery of definitions. 17. The Schrodinger field. 18. The real Klein-Gordon field. 19. The complex Klein-Gordon field. 20. The Dirac field. 21. The Maxwell radiation field
Summary "This book discusses the classical foundations of field theory, using the language of variational methods and covariance. There is no other book which gives such a comprehensive overview of the subject, exploring the limits of what can be achieved with purely classical notions. These classical notions have a deep and important connection with the second quantized field theory, which is shown to follow on from the Schwinger Action Principle. The book takes a pragmatic view of field theory, focusing on issues which are usually omitted from quantum field theory texts. It uses a well documented set of conventions and catalogues results which are often hard to find in the literature
Care is taken to explain how results arise and how to interpret results physically, for graduate students starting out in the field. Many physical examples are provided, making the book an ideal supplementary text for courses on elementary field theory, group theory and dynamical systems. It will also be a valuable reference for researchers already working in these and related areas."--Jacket
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 515-519) and index
Notes English
Print version record
Subject Field theory (Physics)
SCIENCE -- Waves & Wave Mechanics.
Field theory (Physics)
Feldtheorie
Mathematische Physik
Form Electronic book
ISBN 0511019424
9780511019425
9780511535055
0511535058
9780511045516
0511045514
9780511030215
0511030215
0511157061
9780511157066
1107125766
9781107125766
0511176287
9780511176289
9786610434060
6610434069
1280434066
9781280434068
0511329512
9780511329517