Universität Wien

260048 VU Introduction to conformal field theory (2021S)

5.00 ECTS (3.00 SWS), SPL 26 - Physik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 15 participants
Language: German, English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 11.03. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 18.03. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 25.03. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 15.04. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 22.04. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 29.04. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 06.05. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 20.05. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 27.05. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 10.06. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 17.06. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital
  • Thursday 24.06. 15:00 - 17:30 Digital

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Conformal field theories, i.e. field theories with an invariance under angle-preserving transformations, arise for example in string theory and in the description of phase transitions.

The course provides an introduction to conformal quantum field theories in any dimension with a particular focus on the two-dimensional case, which on the one hand is interesting because many explicit results are available, and which on the other hand plays a prominent role for the world-sheet description of a string.

Preliminary outline:
1. Introduction: Why study conformal field theories?
2. Conformal transformations
3. Free massless fields
4. General properties of conformal field theories
5. Correlation functions
6. Operator algebra and conformal bootstrap
7. Two-dimensional conformal field theories
8. Minimal models
9. Modular invariance and black hole entropy

Assessment and permitted materials

Two take-home exams, presentation of one exercise, participation

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

In total, 80 points can be obtained:
- 32 for each take home exam
- 16 for the presentation and participation

Grading key:
- from 70 points: 1
- from 60 points: 2
- from 50 points: 3
- from 40 points: 4

Examination topics

Complete content of the course

Reading list

A. Belavin, A. Polyakov, A. Zamolodchikov, Infinite conformal symmetry in two-dimensional quantum field theory, Nuclear Physics B241 (1984) 333-380
R. Blumenhagen, E. Plauschinn, Introduction to Conformal Field Theory - with applications to String Theory, Springer 2009
P. Di Francesco, P. Matthieu, D. Sénéchal, Conformal field theory, Springer 1997
P. Ginsparg, Applied conformal field theory, Les Houches Summer School 1988, hep-th/9108028
M. Henkel, Conformal invariance and critical phenomena, Springer 1999
K.-H. Rehren, Konforme Quantenfeldtheorie, Vorlesungsskript, ein pdf-File ist auf Rehrens Homepage erhältlich
S. Rychkov, EPFL Lectures on Conformal Field Theory in D>=3 dimensions, arXiv:1601.05000
M. Schottenloher, A mathematical introduction to conformal field theory, Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer 1997

Association in the course directory

M-VAF A 2, M-VAF B

Last modified: Fr 12.05.2023 00:21