Description
Book SynopsisI First Quantization and Path Integrals.- 1 Path Integrals and Point Particles.- 2 NambuGoto Strings.- 3 Superstrings.- 4 Conformal Field Theory and Kac-Moody Algebras.- 5 Multiloops and Teichmüller Spaces.- II Second Quantization and the Search for Geometry.- 6 Light Cone Field Theory.- 7 BRST Field Theory.- III Phenomenology and Model Building.- 8 Anomalies and the AtiyahSinger Theorem.- 9 Heterotic Strings and Compactification.- 10 CalabiYau Spaces and Orbifolds.- IV M-Theory.- 11 M-Theory and Duality.- 12 Compactifications and BPS States.- 13Solitons, D-Branes, and Black Holes.- A.1 A Brief Introduction to Group Theory.- A.2 A Brief Introduction to General Relativity.- A.3 A Brief Introduction to the Theory of Forms.- A.4 A Brief Introduction to Supersymmetry.- A.5 A Brief Introduction to Supergravity.- A.6 Notation.- References.
Trade ReviewFrom the reviews
Foundations of Physics, on the first edition:
"... the dedicated reader...will be well versed in this fascinating area of theoretical physics."
Physics Today, on the first edition:
"...presents a pedagogical survey on string theory. It covers material from early developments to present-day research ... divided into three parts ... results of quantization, string field theory, and phenomenology ... an impressive effort..."
FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICS
"Kaku’s book, at 568 pages, is a comprehensive, self-contained text on string theory…[It] contains useful summaries of mathematical topics such as index theory, cohomology, and Kahler manifolds. This is a book for the really serious student of string theory; the dedicated reader who emerges after page 568 will be well versed in this fascinating area of theoretical physics.”
Table of ContentsI. First Quantization and Path Integrals; 1. Path Integrals and Point Particles; 2. Nambu-Goto Strings; 3. Superstrings; 4. Conformal Field Theory and Kac-Moody Algebras; 5. Multiloops and Teichmüller Spaces; II. Second Quantization and the Search for Geometry; 6. Light Cone Field Theory; 7. BRST Field Theory; 8. Anomalies and the Atiyah-Singer Theorem; 9. Heterotic Strings and Compactification; 10. Calabi-Yau Spaces and Orbifolds; 11.M-theory and Duality; 12. Compatifications and BPS States 13. Solitons, D-branes, and Black Holes; Appendices; Index
