Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 17 Nov 2017).

Quantum mechanics and the path integral -- The symmetric double well -- Decay of a meta-stable state -- Quantum field theory and the path integral -- Decay of the false vacuum -- Large orders in perturbation theory -- Quantum electrodynamics in 1+1 dimensions -- The Polyakov proof of confinement -- Monopole pair production -- Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) -- Instantons, supersymmetry and Morse theory.

Instantons, or pseudoparticles, are solutions to the equations of motion in classical field theories on a Euclidean spacetime. Instantons are found everywhere in quantum theories as they have many applications in quantum tunnelling. Diverse physical phenomena may be described through quantum tunnelling, for example: the Josephson effect, the decay of meta-stable nuclear states, band formation in tight binding models of crystalline solids, the structure of the gauge theory vacuum, confinement in 2+1 dimensions, and the decay of superheated or supercooled phases. Drawing inspiration from Sidney Coleman's Erice lectures, this volume provides an accessible, detailed introduction to instanton methods, with many applications, making it a valuable resource for graduate students in many areas of physics, from condensed matter, particle and nuclear physics, to string theory.