String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introduction
by Katrin Becker, Melanie Becker, John H. Schwarz
List Price:
Our Price: $43.99
You Save: $42.01 (49%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $38.95 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: John H. Schwarz, Katrin Becker, Melanie BeckerEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-01-15
ISBN: 0521860695
Number of pages: 756
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Book Reviews of String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introduction
Book Review: My favorite single-volume "domestic" string theory book.
Summary: 5 Stars
I approach the subject from a mathematical direction having been greatly interested in the fact that historically speaking, string theory has been evolving backwards and still searching for its appropriate geometry. While only a few of the prominant names in the area have undertaken the task of writing a comprehensive manuscript on string theory, the past couple of decades has seen the publication of texts by Polchinski, Kaku, Zwiebach, and several others, all with their own merits, scope, and style of presentation. The present title as far as I know is the first on the topic chiefly written by female physicists (who are inevitably better at explaining things!) and eventhough as Lee Carlson mentions in his review here, there is room for improvements in a few places, Becker & Schwarz is perhaps the best current option for reference and for teaching a first-year graduate course. As the writers have noted in the Preface, the book assumes a background in quantum field theory, general relativity, and also familiarity with the mathematical concepts and constructs in group theory, differential geometry, and topology. The discussion starts out with the basics on perturbative string theory, moving into conformal field theory, supersymmetry, dualities, and finally to the more modern developments such as D-branes and M-theory. My favorite chapters are the ones on String Geometry (chapter 9) and Flux Compactifications (chapter 10), the latter being one of the more recent developments in the area not discussed in the earlier books. In a departure from the 1980's and 1990's perspective, string theory has become progressively more accessible to nonspecialists (such as engineers), therefore the 120-or-so worked-out problems and the other 200 homework exercises which are included provide a good setting for those not taking an official course, to try their hand on solving various problems for better understanding the subject. In summary, Becker & Schwarz (and its possible future editions) is destined to be one of the main treatises of string theory in the coming years.
Summary of String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introduction
String theory is one of the most exciting and challenging areas of modern theoretical physics. This book guides the reader from the basics of string theory to recent developments. It introduces the basics of perturbative string theory, world-sheet supersymmetry, space-time supersymmetry, conformal field theory and the heterotic string, before describing modern developments, including D-branes, string dualities and M-theory. It then covers string geometry and flux compactifications, applications to cosmology and particle physics, black holes in string theory and M-theory, and the microscopic origin of black-hole entropy. It concludes with Matrix theory, the AdS/CFT duality and its generalizations. This book is ideal for graduate students and researchers in modern string theory, and will make an excellent textbook for a one-year course on string theory. It contains over 120 exercises with solutions, and over 200 homework problems with solutions available on a password protected website for lecturers at www.cambridge.org/9780521860697.General Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in String Theory
String Theory, Vol. 2 (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)by Joseph Polchinski
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2005-07-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $32.00
Price in other shops:
String Theory, Vol. 1 (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)by Joseph Polchinski
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2005-06-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.95
Price in other shops:
Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory and the Search for Unity in Physical Law for Unity in Physical Lawby Peter Woit
Basic Books; Published: 2007-09-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.20
Price in other shops:
String Theory in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell)by Elias Kiritsis
Princeton University Press; Published: 2007-03-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $21.05
Price in other shops:
A First Course in String Theoryby Barton Zwiebach
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2004-06-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $30.00
Price in other shops:
String Theory and M-Theory: A Modern Introductionby Katrin Becker, Melanie Becker, John H. Schwarz
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2007-01-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $48.98
Price in other shops:
Superstrings: A Theory of Everything? (Canto)Cambridge University Press; Published: 1992-07-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.95
Price in other shops:
Superstring Theory: Volume 2, Loop Amplitudes, Anomalies and Phenomenology (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)by Michael B. Green, John H. Schwarz, Edward Witten
Cambridge University Press; Published: 1988-07-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $70.00
Price in other shops:
Superstring Theory: Volume 1, Introduction (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)by Michael B. Green, John H. Schwarz, Edward Witten
Cambridge University Press; Published: 1988-07-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $69.99
Price in other shops:
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theoryby Brian Greene
W. W. Norton & Company; Published: 2003-10-20; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.95
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Geometry, Topology and Physics, Second Edition (Graduate Student Series in Physics)by Mikio Nakahara
Taylor & Francis; Published: 2003-06-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $55.90
Price in other shops:
The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Nextby Lee Smolin
Mariner Books; Published: 2007-09-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.89
Price in other shops:
String Theory, Vol. 2 (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)by Joseph Polchinski
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2005-07-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.94
Price in other shops:
String Theory, Vol. 1 (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)by Joseph Polchinski
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2005-06-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $40.58
Price in other shops:
Cosmologyby Steven Weinberg
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2008-04-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $66.05
Price in other shops:
Lie Groups, Lie Algebras, and Some of Their Applicationsby Robert Gilmore
Dover Publications; Published: 2006-01-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.66
Price in other shops:
A First Course in String Theoryby Barton Zwiebach
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2004-06-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $36.54
Price in other shops:
String Theory in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell)by Elias Kiritsis
Princeton University Press; Published: 2007-03-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $38.99
Price in other shops:
Quantum Field Theoryby Mark Srednicki
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2007-02-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $51.63
Price in other shops:
Supersymmetry and String Theory: Beyond the Standard Modelby Michael Dine
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2007-01-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $45.52
Price in other shops: