Solitons and Instantons: An Introduction to Solitons and Instantons in Quantum Field Theory

Abstract

In recent years the roles of nontrivial solutions of Euler-Lagrange equations in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory have been appreciated and several techniques developed to calculate their effects. The early chapters in this book provide an excellent introduction to finite energy solutions (one-dimensional solitons, vortices and monopoles) and to finite Euclidean action solutions (instantons).