The propagator approach to a relativistic quantum theory pioneered in 1949 by Feynman has provided a practical, as well as intuitively appealing, formulation of quantum electrodynamics and a fertile approach to a broad class of problems in the theory of elementary particles. The entire renormalization program, basic to the present confidence of theorists in the predictions of quantum electrodynamics, is in fact dependent on a Feynman graph analysis, as is also considerable progress in the proofs of analytic properties required to write dispersion relations. Indeed, one may go so far as to adopt the extreme view that the set of all Feynman graphs is the theory. In this text the authors develop a propagator theory of Dirac particles, photons, and Klein-Gordon mesons and per- form a series of calculations designed to illustrate various useful techniques and concepts in electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions. these include defining and implementing the renormalization program and evaluating effects of radia- tive corrections, such as the Lamb shift, in low-order calculations. The necessary background for the book is pro- vided by a course in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics at the general level of Schiff's text, QUANTUM MECHANICS. Chapter 11. General Formalism -- Chapter 12. The Klein-gordon Field -- Chapter 13. Second Quantization Of The Dirac Field -- Chapter 14. Quantization Of The Electromagnetic Field -- Chapter 15. Interacting Fields -- Chapter 16. Vacuum Expectation Values And The S Matrix -- Chapter 17. Perturbation Theory -- Chapter 18. Dispersion Relations -- Chapter 19. Renormalization -- Appendix A. Notation -- Appendix B. Rules For Feynman Graphs -- Appendix C. Commutator And Propagator Functions. [by] James D. Bjorken [and] Sidney D. Drell. Bibliography: P. Ix-x. The authors of this classic physics text develop a canonical field theory and relate it to Feynman graph expansion.Withgraph analysis, they explore the analyticity properties of Feynman amplitudes to arbitrary orders, illustrate dispersion relation methods, and prove the finiteness of renormalized quantum electrodynamics to each order of the interaction. 1965 edition.
