This is the webpage for the Michaelmas 2018 lecture course on "Advanced Quantum Theory". This counts as part of both the C6 (Theory) MPhys option, as well as the Advanced Quantum Theory course within the Oxford Masters Course in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics (MMathPhys). This course will focus on path integral techniques and many-particle quantum mechanics, and provide an introduction to Landau's theory of phases and phase transitions. This course thus serves as a broad overview of the basic tools and concepts of theoretical physics.

The course comprises a total of 20 lectures, in Weeks 1-7. These will be based on notes written by Prof. Fabian Essler, but I may edit portions of them during the year. The most up-to-date set of lecture notes is available here.

Problems are included "inline" in the notes, but for convenience will also be collected into problem sheets posted on this site. You will have problem classes in Weeks 4, 6, and 8.

Very Rough Plan of Lectures: (subject to change; topics in bold are those that were actually covered in class and so represent the current status of the course.)

All lectures are from 9-10AM in the Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre (in the Denys Wilkinson Building), unless otherwise specified.

*Second lecture on Nov 12 will take place in the Fisher Room (also in DWB), 2-3pm.

**Lectures on November 14 and 21 will be from 10-11AM in the Dennis Sciama Lecture Theatre.

†Non-examinable topics.

Update 9/11/2018: we anticipate changing the lecture schedule slightly for weeks 5,6,7 -- please keep an eye on this page. A definite announcement will be made in the 9AM class on Monday of week 6 and sent out via email.

Update 11/11/2018: lecture schedule has been updated -- see above.

Course Materials:

Lecture notes

All the problems are included in the lecture notes, but for convenience, they are posted here in collated form. Each problem class will cover one problem sheet's worth of material.

Problem Sheet 1 [Problems 1-10, covering path integrals and transfer matrices]

Problem Sheet 2 [Problems 11-18, covering second quantization and applications]

[Update 9/11/2018 - since I didn't quite cover magnetism by the due date of problem sheet 2, you may include a revised solution to Q17 with your solutions to problem sheet 3; for AQT students taking the homework completion option, this is the answer that will "count" to your mark.]

Problem Sheet 3 [Problems 19-21, covering Landau theory]