Scattering Amplitudes

This course provides an introduction to modern methods in the theory of On-Shell Scattering Amplitudes in (perturbative) Quantum Field Theory, which find their primary application in high-energy physics and in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories. A rough program will be

1. Spinor helicity formalism for Scattering Amplitudes
2. Tree-Level amplitudes, colour decomposition and primitive amplitudes
3. On-shell recursion techniques (BCFW)
4. Loop amplitudes, UV and IR divergences
5. Generalised Unitarity for one-loop scattering amplitudes
6. General results for multiloop scattering amplitudes
7. Integration-by-parts identities, differential equations and canonical bases
8. Feynman Integrals in modern language: period integrals, special numbers and special functions
9. An introduction to (Chen) iterated integrals: the special case of Multiple Polylogarithms
10. The Symbol Map and functional relations

General Information

Classes take place every week on Monday and Wednesday. 

Monday 10:15-11:45: in PH 2271

Wednesday 14:15-15:45: in PH 2271

 

Exercise classes: (NOTE THE CHANGE OF TIME)

Monday 08:30-10:00: in PH 2271

Tutor: Tom Stone

 

IMPORTANT INFO: 

• There will be a lecture instead of a tutorial on Monday, 27th of April. Note that the lecture will be at 08:30 am. The exercise class will take place on Wednesday at 2pm.
• There will be a lecture instead of a tutorial on Monday, 4th of May. Note that the lecture will be at 08:30 am. The exercise class will take place on Wednesday at 2pm.
• There will be a lecture instead of a tutorial on Monday, 11th of May. Note that the lecture will be at 08:30 am. The exercise class will take place on Wednesday at 2pm.

• There will be a lecture instead of a tutorial on Monday, 18th of May . Note that the lecture will be at 08:30 am. The exercise class will take place on Wednesday at 2pm.

   

 

Lecture notes

Here we will upload the lecture notes for the course. 

Exercise Sheets

Here we will upload the exercise sheets (and the solutions after the relevant exercise class has taken place). Please report any mistakes/typos to Tom Stone.