Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I From Particles to Strings
- Part II TheWorld-Sheet Perspective
- Part III The Space-Time Perspective
- 7 Covariant Quantisation I
- 8 Intermezzo – Representations of the Poincaré Group
- 9 Covariant Quantisation II
- 10 Light-Cone Quantisation
- 11 Partition Functions II
- Part IV Outlook
- Appendix A Notation and Conventions
- Appendix B Units, Constants, and Scales
- Appendix C Fourier Series and Fourier Integrals
- Appendix D Modular Forms and Special Functions
- Appendix E Young Tableaux
- Appendix F Gaussian Integrals and Integral Exponential Function
- Appendix G Lie Algebras, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces
- References
- Index
7 - Covariant Quantisation I
from Part III - The Space-Time Perspective
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 March 2022
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I From Particles to Strings
- Part II TheWorld-Sheet Perspective
- Part III The Space-Time Perspective
- 7 Covariant Quantisation I
- 8 Intermezzo – Representations of the Poincaré Group
- 9 Covariant Quantisation II
- 10 Light-Cone Quantisation
- 11 Partition Functions II
- Part IV Outlook
- Appendix A Notation and Conventions
- Appendix B Units, Constants, and Scales
- Appendix C Fourier Series and Fourier Integrals
- Appendix D Modular Forms and Special Functions
- Appendix E Young Tableaux
- Appendix F Gaussian Integrals and Integral Exponential Function
- Appendix G Lie Algebras, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces
- References
- Index
Summary
We start carrying out the programme of covariant quantisation, focussing on the photon and tachyon state of the open string. The photon is used to explain the relation between the world-sheet and space-time perspective by matching properties of the photon state to those of the Maxwell field. The tachyon gives us the opportunity to talk abouttachyon condensation, string field theory, and the search for the true ground state of string theory.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- A Short Introduction to String Theory , pp. 87 - 98Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022