Radiative Corrections, Divergences, Regularization, Renormalization, Renormalization Group and All That in Examples in Quantum Field Theory

Abstract

The present lectures are a practical guide to the calculation of radiative corrections to the Green functions in quantum field theory. The appearance of ultraviolet divergences is explained, their classification is given, the renormalization procedure which allows one to get the finite results is described, and the basis of the renormalization group in QFT is presented. Numerous examples of calculations in scalar and gauge theories are given. Quantum anomalies are discussed. In conclusion the procedure which allows one to get rid of infrared divergences in S-matrix elements is described. The lectures are based on the standard quantum field theory textbooks, the list of which is given at the end of the text. These lectures were given to the 4-th year students of the Department of General and Applied Physics of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (Technical University).