Instructor: Piers Coleman, Room 268
If you have any enquiries about this course or the
homework, please do not hesitate to contact me via email
at : coleman@physics.rutgers.edu
Scope of Course. Many body physics provides the
framework for understanding the collective behavior of
vast assemblies of interacting particles. This course
provides an introduction to this field, introducing you to
the main techniques and concepts, aiming to give you
first-hand experience in calculations and problem solving
using these methods.
The content of this
course, with additional material will be my book
"Introduction to Many Body Physics", published by Cambridge
University Press and available on Amazon
Texts: Here are some other good references
for the course.
Many-Particle Physics, Third Edition
by G. Mahan. (Plenum, 2000). A classic text on Many
body physics. Focuses on diagramatic and
Greens Functions method. Very thorough but a
little dated.
Condensed Matter
Field Theory by Alexander Altland
and Ben Simons.(CUP,
2006)
An excellent introduction to Field Theory applied
in condensed matter physics. I almost decided to
make this the main text, as I like it
greatly.
Basic Notions in Condensed Matter Physics by
P. W. Anderson. A classic reference. Many of us
still turn to this book for inspiration, and
philosophy. It also has a fine selection of
important reprints at the back.
Traditional Many Body Theory and Greens Functions
``Methods of Quantum Field Theory in
Statistical Physics'' by Abrikosov, Gorkov and
Dzyalozinskii. (Dover Paperback) - Classic text from
the sixties, known usually as AGD.
``A guide to Feynman Diagrams in the
Many-Body problem by R. D. Mattuck. A light
introduction to the subject. Reprinted by Dover.
``Greens functions for Solid State Physics''
S.Doniach and E. H. Sondheimer. Not as thorough as
AGD, but less threatening and somehow more
manageable. Frontiers in Physics series no 44.
``Quantum Many Particle Systems'' by J.
W. Negele and H. Orland. Alas all the good physics
is in the unsolved excercises! However, it is the
only one of this set to touch on the subject of
functional integrals.
Newer approaches to Many-Body Problem.
R. Shankar, Rev Mod Phys 66 129 (1994).
An amazingly self-contained review of the
renormalization group and functional integral
techniques written by one of the best expositors of
condensed matter physics.
``Field Theories of Condensed Matter
Physics'' by E. Fradkin. (Frontiers in
Physics, Addison Wesley). Interesting material on
the fractional statistics and the fractional quantum
Hall effect.
``Quantum Field Theory in Condensed Matter
Physics'' by A. Tsvelik. (Cambridge paper
back) Very good for one dimensional systems. No
exercises.
Further references:
The Theory of Quantum Liquids by D. Pines and
P. Nozieres. Excellent introduction to Fermi
liquid theory that avoids the use of field theory.
Statistical Physics, vol II by Lifshitz
and Pitaevskii. Pergammon. Marvellous book on
applications of many body physics, mainly to
condensed matter physics.
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to top) Note:
this material is copywritten and should not be posted
without permission.
Times: 12.00 am on Wednesday and 1.40 pm on Fridays
in ARC-212. Occasionally, to make up for
my travel, we will hold an additional class. This will
tentatively take place at 10.20am in SEC 217
(note SEC not ARC!) on occasional Mondays. I
apologize for this inconvenience.
Office hour: 9.50 Fridays or by
arrangement. Tel x 9033
Assessment: Assessment will be made
on the basis of weekly assignments, a take-home mid-term
and a take-home final exam. I want to encourage an
interactive class and will take this into account when
grading!