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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Elements of Quantum Electrodynamics and Weak Interactions

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Quantum field theory in its application to electroweak and strong interactions has two rather different facets: A pragmatic, empirical one, and an algebraic, systematical one. The pragmatic approach consists in a set of rules and formal calculational procedures which are extremely successful in their application to concrete physical processes, but rest on mathematically shaky ground. The mathematically rigorous approach, in turn, is technically difficult and not very useful, from a practical point of view, for reaching results which can be compared with phenomenology. Generally speaking, quantum field theory quickly becomes rather technical if one wants to understand it in some depth, and goes far beyond the scope of a textbook such as this one. We refer to the many excellent monographs on this topic some of which are listed in the bibliography.