String Theory 2 Volume Hardback Set (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics) Book

The two volumes that make up String Theory provide an up-to-date, comprehensive and pedagogic introduction to the subject. Volume 1, An Introduction to the Bosonic String, gives a thorough introduction to the bosonic string, based on the Polyakov path integral and conformal field theory. The first four chapters introduce the central ideas of string theory, the tools of conformal field theory and of the Polyakov path integral, and the covariant quantization of the string. The next three chapters treat string interactions: the general formalism, and detailed treatments of the tree level and one loop amplitudes. Chapter eight covers toroidal compactification and many important aspects of string physics. Chapter nine treats higher-order amplitudes. Volume 2, Superstring Theory and Beyond, begins with an introduction to supersymmetric string theories and goes on to a broad presentation of the important advances of recent years. The first three chapters introduce the type I, type II and heterototic superstring theories and their interactions. The next two chapters present important recent discoveries about strongly coupled strings. A following chapter collects many classic results in conformal field theory. The final four chapters are concerned with four-dimensional string theories, and have two goals: to show how some of the simplest string models connect with previous ideas for unifying the Standard Model; and to collect many important and beautiful general results on world-sheet and spacetime symmetries. Both volumes contain an annotated reference section, emphasizing references that will be useful to the student, as well as a detailed glossary of important terms and concepts. Many exercises are included which are intended to re-inforce the main points of the text and to bring in additional ideas. These volumes provide an essential text and reference for graduate students and researchers in theoretical physics, particle physics and relativity with an interest in modern superstring theory.