This course-based primer offers readers a concise introduction to the description of quantum mechanical systems with infinitely many degrees of freedom - and quantum spin systems in particular - using the operator algebraic approach. Here, the observables are modeled using elements of some operator algebra, usually a C^*-algebra. This text introduces readers to the framework and the necessary mathematical tools without assuming much mathematical background, making it more accessible than advanced monographs.

The book also highlights the usefulness of the so-called...