String theory reading course (Physics V3500, Spring '08)

A course on particle and string theory from the path integral point of view.

Here's the course syllabus, although the time moved to Thursdays 3 - 5:30 in 831, and now it's Fridays 11:30 - 2 in 1332.

lecture notes

  1. Path integrals in quantum mechanics
  2. Relativistic particles: path integrals and scattering
  3. Relativistic strings
  4. String interactions
  5. Lam's notes on covariant quantization and the superstring
  6. Compactification on tori and T-duality

homework

  1. Homework #1 due 1/31
  2. Homework #2 due 2/7
  3. Homework #3 due 2/14
  4. Homework #4 due 2/21
  5. Homework #8 due 4/25
  6. Homework #9 due 5/9