Books in the Physics Notes series

Einstein's general theory of relativity requires a curved space for the description of the physical world. If one wishes to go beyond superficial discussions of the physical relations involved, one needs to set up precise equations for handling curved space. The well-established mathematical technique that accomplishes this is clearly described in this classic book by Nobel Laureate P.A.M. Dirac. Based on a series of lectures given by Dirac at Florida State University, and intended for the advanced undergraduate, General Theory of Relativity comprises thirty-five compact chapters that take the reader point-by-point through the necessary steps for understanding general relativity.

Scaling and self-similarity ideas and methods in theoretical physics have coalesced into renormalization-group methods. This book analyzes some of the important applications: the critical-point theory in classical statistical mechanics, the scalar quantum field theories in two and three space-time dimensions, and Tomonaga's theory.