Two-dimensional Quantum Field Theory, examples and applications

Abstract

The main principles of two-dimensional quantum field theories, in particular two-dimensional QCD and gravity are reviewed. We study non-perturbative aspects of these theories which make them particularly valuable for testing ideas of four-dimensional quantum field theory. The dynamics of confinement and theta vacuum are explained by using the non-perturbative methods developed in two dimensions. We describe in detail how the effective action of string theory in non-critical dimensions can be represented by Liouville gravity. By comparing the helicity amplitudes in four-dimensional QCD to those of integrable self-dual Yang-Mills theory, we extract a four dimensional version of two dimensional integrability.