Quantum Field Theory I (Physics 330)

In Autumn 2022, I was the TA for Stanford’s introductory quantum field theory class, taught by Prof. Bernhard Mistlberger. We overhauled the course and produced new problem sets, which we believe strike a good balance between traditional particle physics applications, and connections to other fields. I also taught weekly sections which laid out the big picture and showed tricks for doing the problems efficiently.

• Problem sets: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• Very rough section notes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
• Final exam (solutions)

Physics Olympiad Handouts

I’ve developed a series of challenging problem sets for students aiming at gold medals at the International Physics Olympiad. They contain about 1,000 solved questions, explanations of problem solving techniques, hundreds of examples, and many references to historical and modern literature. For more details, see the syllabus and FAQ. Usually, students take a year to work through the handouts; to see if you’re ready, try the preliminary problems (answers here).

Core Curriculum

• Problem Solving I (Sol), Problem Solving II (Sol)
• Mech I (Sol), Mech II (Sol), Mech III (Sol), Mech IV (Sol)
• Elec I (Sol), Elec II (Sol), Elec III (Sol), Elec IV (Sol)
• Mech V (Sol), Mech VI (Sol), Mech VII (Sol)
• Thermo I (Sol), Thermo II (Sol), Thermo III (Sol)
• Elec V (Sol), Elec VI (Sol), Elec VII (Sol)
• Relativity I (Sol), Relativity II (Sol)
• Waves I (Sol), Waves II (Sol), Modern I (Sol)

Advanced Topics, Review, and Practice Olympiads

• Mech VIII (Sol), Elec VIII (Sol), Relativity III (Sol)
• Waves III (Sol), Modern II (Sol), Modern III (Sol)
• Mech Review (Sol), Elec Review (Sol), Other Review (Sol)
• Oly-Mech (Sol), Oly-Elec (Sol), Oly-Other (Sol)
• Final (Sol)

These are the notes I’ve taken while learning physics. I use them for reference, but they’re quite terse, and not a good resource to learn from. They weigh in at 1,900 pages and 750,000 words.

Undergraduate

These notes cover what I learned at MIT, through courses, lecture notes, and books.

• Undergraduate Physics
• Undergraduate Math
• Geometry and Topology
• Atomic and Optical Physics
• Solid State Physics
• Astrophysics
• Statistics
• Machine Learning

Graduate

These notes follow courses taught at Cambridge’s Part III and Oxford’s MMathPhys.

• Group Theory
• Statistical Field Theory
• General Relativity
• Quantum Field Theory
• The Standard Model
• Supersymmetry
• Cosmology
• String Theory

If you like the style, you can download a TeX template here.

Advice

• Learning Introductory Physics. A FAQ for high school students who want to start learning physics or taking part in physics competitions, such as the USAPhO.
• After Introductory Physics. Some tips for self-taught students on what to do after mastering the basics, including book recommendations and online resources.
• Physics Activities. Some places you can apply your physics knowledge in high school.
• The Theoretical Minimum. A short list of canonical books you could self-study, to go from the level of introductory physics to PhD candidacy.
• The Stanford Physics Qualifying Exam. A transcript of my PhD qualifying exam, and advice.

Expository

• Cosmological Relaxation. A dissertation written for the Oxford MSc in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics, covering models that “relax” the Higgs boson’s mass. Also contains unqualified musings on model building and the meaning of naturalness and fine-tuning.
• The Meaning of Nothing. The New College Demuth prize essay, on how theoretical stories map onto reality, and why a physicist’s philosophical flexibility is a useful tool. Published in the New College Record with a wonderful illustration by Audrey Effenberger.

Links

• Here are some memorable articles about science and everything else.
• Here are some fun videos for a rainy day.
• My 1,000 answers on Physics StackExchange have 2 million views; here’s a sample.