This graduate level text describes in a unified fashion the statistical mechanics of random walks, random surfaces and random higher dimensional manifolds with an emphasis on the geometrical aspects of the theory and applications to the quantization of strings, gravity and topological field theory. With chapters on random walks, random surfaces, two-and higher-dimensional quantum gravity, topological quantum field theories and Monte Carlo simulations of random geometries, the text provides a self-contained account of quantum geometry from a statistical field theory point of view. The approach...

Here is a self-contained exposition of the theory of gravitational solitons and provides a comprehensive review of exact soliton solutions to Einstein's equations. The text begins with a detailed discussion of the extension of the Inverse Scattering Method to the theory of gravitation, starting with pure gravity and then extending it to the coupling of gravity with the electromagnetic field. There follows a systematic review of the gravitational soliton solutions based on their symmetries. These solutions include some of the most interesting in gravitational physics such as those describing...

A unified and systematic treatment of the main results and techniques of relativistic fluid dynamics with an emphasis on waves and shock waves. The first four chapters provide an introduction to the fundamental principles of relativistic fluid dynamics and magneto-fluids. The remaining chapters present specific topics, including non-linear electromagnetic waves in relativistic cold plasmas, relativistic asymptotic waves, and relativistic shock waves. Examples of the applications of the theory to plasma physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics are presented.

This comprehensive, research level introduction to the theory of liquid metals presents the concepts needed to understand the properties of these metals starting with a survey of the basic experimental facts. The quantitative theory of liquid pair correlation functions, effective ion-ion interactions, thermodynamic properties and electronic and atomic transport is then developed. The book also explores inelastic neutron scattering from bulk liquid metals, critical behavior, magnetism, the present understanding of the liquid metal surface, binary liquid metals, shock wave studies, liquid...

This book surveys the physics of small clusters of particles undergoing oscillations and vibrations. These oscillations occur in nuclear physics and the physics and chemistry of atomic clusters. First, the authors survey experimental information on collective vibrations in atoms, metal clusters and nuclei, then they develop theoretical tools to understand these findings. Finally, they discuss important vibrational modes observed in the different systems and mechanisms for the damping of vibrational modes and the effects of excitation energy on the modes.

This book is an introduction to integrability and conformal field theory in two dimensions using quantum groups. The book begins with a brief introduction to S-matrices, spin chains and vertex models as a prelude to the study of Yang-Baxter algebras and the Bethe ansatz. The authors then introduce the basic ideas of integrable systems, giving particular emphasis to vertex and face models. They give special attention to the underlying mathematical tools, including braid groups, knot invariants, and towers of algebras. The authors then go on to give a detailed introduction to quantum groups...

Here is the first pedagogical introduction to harmonic superspace in extended supersymmetry by the scientists who developed the method. Inspired by developments in superstring theory, it provides a systematic treatment of the quantum field theories with N=2 and N=3 supersymmetry in Harmonic Superspace. The authors present the harmonic superspace approach as a means of providing an off-shell description of the N=2 supersymmetric theories, both at the classical and quantum levels. Furthermore, they show how it offers a unique way to construct an off-shell formulation of a theory with higher...

This book describes the mathematical framework on which the interacting boson-fermion model is built and presents applications to a variety of situations encountered in nuclei. It addresses both the analytical and the numerical aspects of the problem. The analytical aspect requires the introduction of rather complex group theoretic methods, including the use of graded (or super) Lie algebras. The first (and so far only) example of supersymmetry occurring in nature is also discussed.

The interacting boson model was introduced in 1974 as an attempt to describe collective properties of nuclei in a unified way. Since 1974, the model has been the subject of many investigations and it has been extended to cover most aspects of nuclear structure. This book gives an account of the properties of the interacting boson model. In particular, this book presents the mathematical techniques used to analyze the structure of the model. It also collects in a single, easily accessible reference all the formulas that have been developed throughout the years to account for collective...

Introducing the reader to classical integrable systems and their applications, this book synthesizes the different approaches to the subject, providing a set of interconnected methods for solving problems in mathematical physics. The authors introduce and explain each method, and demonstrate how it can be applied to particular examples. Rather than presenting an exhaustive list of the various integrable systems, they focus on classical objects which have well-known quantum counterparts, or are the semi-classical limits of quantum objects. They thus enable readers to understand the literature...