Download or read book Classical Topology and Quantum States written by A P Balachandran and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 1991-05-16 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an introduction to the role of topology in the quantization of classical systems. It is also an introduction to topological solitons with special emphasis on Skyrmions. As regards the first aspect, several issues of current interest are dealt with at a reasonably elementary level. Examples are principal fibre bundles and their role in quantum physics, the possibility of spinorial quantum states in a Lagrangian theory based on tensorial variables, and multiply connected configuration spaces and associated quantum phenomena like the QCD q angle and exotic statistics. The ideas are also illustrated by simple examples such as the spinning particle, the charge-monopole system and strings in 3+1 dimensions. The application of these ideas to quantum gravity is another subject treated at an introductory level. An attempt has been made in this book to introduce the reader to the significance of topology for many distinct physical systems such as spinning particles, the charge- monopole system, strings, Skyrmions, QCD and gravity. The book is an outgrowth of lectures given by the authors at various institutions and conferences. Contents:Part I: Classical Mechanics and Quantum States:The Dirac-Bergmann Theory of ConstraintsNonrelativistic Particles with Fixed SpinMagnetic MonopolesThe Canonical Formalism and QuantizationThe Wess-Zumino Term and the Path SpaceQuantum Symmetries and the Wess-Zumino TermQuantum Theory for Multiply Connected Configuration SpacesPart II: Topological Solitons and Nonlinear Models:Topological Solitons in One and Two DimensionsNonlinear Models as Gauge TheoriesThe Chern-Simons TermPart III: Skyrmions:The Effective Lagrangian for QCDSkyrme Solitons for Two FlavoursPreliminary Discussion of Skyrme's ProposalsBaryon Number and Spin of the SkyrmionMore on the Wess-Zumino TermA Hierarchy of “Spherically Symmetric” AnsätzeSkyrmion PhenomenologyElectroweak SkyrmionsPart IV: Gauge, Gravity and String Theories:Multiply Connected Configuration Spaces in Gauge and Gravity TheoriesGeons and their PropertiesStatistics, Strings and Gravity Readership: Mathematical physicists and physicists interested in topological concepts, soliton and skyrmion theory and foundations of quantum theory. keywords:Skyrmions and Other Solitons;Geons;Magnetic Monopoles;Nonlinear Models;Wess-Zumino Term;Topology and Quantum Theory;Chern-Simons Theory;Fibre Bundles;Constraint Theory and Quantization;Spin and Statistics