Theory of Fundamental Interactions

3x 45 min lectures plus 1x 45 min exercises, weekly average

in practice: weeks of 4x 45 min lectures alternating 
with weeks of 2x 45 min lectures plus 2x 45 min exercises

lecture Mon 12:00 - 14:00 and (bi-weekly) Tue 14:00 - 16:00 in room 268  (=> 40 units of 45 mins)
exercises bi-weekly Tue 14:00 - 16:00 in room 268 (by Federico Arrighi)

credits: 5

requirement: active participation in most exercise classes

prerequisites: special relativity, quantum theory (I), particle physics

module: Selected Topics in Modern Physics

start: 08 April 2025 (Tuesday)

course layout:

- Finite groups
- Lie groups
- SU(2) and Isospin
- Roots and weights
- Cartan matrix and Dynkin diagram
- SU(3), hypercharge and strangeness
- Young tableaux and SU(n)
- 3D harmonic oscillator
- Color
- Unified theories and SU(5)
- Classification theorem: classical and exceptional Lie groups
- SO(n) and spinors, Clifford algebras
- The homogeneous Lorentz group
- Poincare transformations
- One- and two-particle states, Wigner's little group
- Discrete operations

literature:
Howard Georgi: Lie Algebras in Particle physics, 2nd edition, Westview 1999
Giovanni Costa, Gianluigi Fogli: Symmetris and Group Theory in Particle Physics, Springer 2012

optional seminar: Mon 16-18 in room 268 (by Federico Arrighi), starts 14 April, 3 credits

- selected topics complementing the lecture content above, 60 min student presentations