The Phi 2 Euclidean Field Theory

by Barry Simon

Barry Simon's book both summarizes and introduces the remarkable progress in constructive quantum field theory that can be attributed directly to the exploitation of Euclidean methods. During the past two years deep relations on both the physical level and on the level of the mathematical structure have been either uncovered or made rigorous. Connections between quantum fields and the statistical mechanics of ferromagnets have been established, for example, that now allow one to prove numerous inequalities in quantum field theory.

In the first part of the book, the author presents the Euclidean methods on an axiomatic level and on the constructive level where the traditional results of the P(Ø)2 theory are translated into the new language. In the second part Professor Simon gives one of the approaches for constructing models of non-trivial, two-dimensional Wightman fields―specifically, the method of correlation inequalities. He discusses other approaches briefly.

Drawn primarily from the author's lectures at the Eidenössiehe Technische Hochschule, Zurich, in 1973, the volume will appeal to physicists and mathematicians alike; it is especially suitable for those with limited familiarity with the literature of this very active field.

Originally published in 1974.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

412 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Barry Simon is an eminent American mathematical physicist and the IBM Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (Emeritus) at Caltech, known for his prolific contributions in spectral theory, functional analysis, and nonrelativistic quantum mechanics (particularly Schrödinger operators), including the connections to atomic and molecular physics. He has authored more than 300 publications on mathematics and physics.

More particularly, his work has focused on broad areas of mathematical physics and analysis covering: quantum field theory, statistical mechanics, Brownian motion, random matrix theory, general nonrelativistic quantum mechanics (including N-body systems and resonances), nonrelativistic quantum mechanics in electric and magnetic fields, the semi-classical limit, the singular continuous spectrum, random and ergodic Schrödinger operators, orthogonal polynomials, and non-selfadjoint spectral theory.

Dr. Simon is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2012), a winner of the Henri Poincaré Prize (2012), a winner of the János Bolyai International Mathematical Prize (2015), a winner of the 2016 Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement, and a winner of the Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics (2018).