Introduction to Conformal Field Theory: With Applications to String Theory

✍ Scribed by Ralph Blumenhagen, Erik Plauschinn (auth.)

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 270
• Series: Lecture Notes in Physics 779
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Based on class-tested notes, this text offers an introduction to Conformal Field Theory with a special emphasis on computational techniques of relevance for String Theory. It introduces Conformal Field Theory at a basic level, Kac-Moody algebras, one-loop partition functions, Superconformal Field Theories, Gepner Models and Boundary Conformal Field Theory.

Eventually, the concept of orientifold constructions is explained in detail for the example of the bosonic string.

In providing many detailed CFT calculations, this book is ideal for students and scientists intending to become acquainted with CFT techniques relevant for string theory but also for students and non-specialists from related fields.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-ix
Introduction....Pages 1-3
Basics in Conformal Field Theory....Pages 5-86
Symmetries of Conformal Field Theories....Pages 87-111
Conformal Field Theory on the Torus....Pages 113-167
Supersymmetric Conformal Field Theory....Pages 169-204
Boundary Conformal Field Theory....Pages 205-256
Back Matter....Pages 1-7

✦ Subjects

Elementary Particles, Quantum Field Theory;Mathematical Methods in Physics;Relativity and Cosmology;Physics beyond the Standard Model