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[Phys-L] Special Relativity for QFT



I’m seeking recommendations for pedagogical but relatively compact treatments of special relativity sufficient to provide a foundation for a first (graduate) course in quantum field theory. Digging around I realize that most of the introductions I am familiar with are intended to get students to GR, and that’s not really what I need.

What I’m looking for is something roughly along the lines of chapter 7 of Goldstein (3e) or chapter 11 of Jackson (3e), but maybe a little more compact and focused. (In fact, if I can’t find anything better those are exactly what I’ll point students toward.) It needs to cover Lorentz transformations in matrix form (including 4d index notation), 4-vectors, the Minkowksi metric (preferably -+++, but I’ll tolerate +- - - if I must), and do a pretty good job building some feel for energy-momentum. Preferably some discussion of the Lorentz and Poincare groups and their generators would be included as well.

Book chapters or online notes are all welcome as suggestions, but the key is finding something that gets students to the point of some degree of comfort with the basics concepts and notation of SR required for QFT in a reasonable period of time without overwhelming them.

Thanks,
David Craig


<http://web.lemoyne.edu/~craigda/>