Topology and Geometry for Physicists
1st Edition
Description
Applications from condensed matter physics, statistical mechanics and elementary particle theory appear in the book. An obvious omission here is general relativity--we apologize for this. We originally intended to discuss general relativity. However, both the need to keep the size of the book within the reasonable limits and the fact that accounts of the topology and geometry of relativity are already available, for example, in The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time by S. Hawking and G. Ellis, made us reluctantly decide to omit this topic.
Readership
Advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying physics.
Table of Contents
Preface. Basic Notions of Topology and the Value of Topological Reasoning. Differential Geometry. Manifolds and Differential Forms. The Fundamental Group. The Homology Groups. The Higher Homotopy Groups. Cohomology and De Rham Cohomology. Fibre Bundles and Further Differential Geometry. Morse Theory. Defects, Textures, and Homotopy Theory. Yang-Mills Theories. Instantons and Monopoles. Subject Index.
Details
- No. of pages:
- 311
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Academic Press 1988
- Published:
- 4th January 1988
- Imprint:
- Academic Press
- eBook ISBN:
- 9780080570853
About the Author
Charles Nash
Affiliations and Expertise
St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland
Siddhartha Sen
Affiliations and Expertise
Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
Reviews
@qu:"One of the most remarkable developments of the last decade in the penetration of topological concepts into theoretical physics. Homotopy groups and fibre bundles have become everyday working tools. Most of the textbooks on these subjects were written with pure mathematicians in mind, however, and are unnecessarily opaque to people with a less rigorous background. This concise introduction will make the subject much more accessible. With plenty of simple examples, it strikes just the right balance between unnecessary mathematical pedantry and arm-waving woolliness...it can be thoroughly recommended. @source:--T.W.B. Kibble, PHYSICS BULLETIN