This book constitutes the proceedings of the X Jorge André Swieca Summer School — Particles and Fields. It includes topics on non-commutative geometry, constructive quantum field theory and duality in quantum field theory, as well as various subjects in high energy physics and phenomenology.

This book contains the proceedings of the IXth Jorge André Swieca Summer School — Particles and Fields — held at Campos do Jordao in February 1997.It surveys some of the most interesting research topics in theoretical physics, like duality theory, quantum field theory in curved space-time, supersymmetry and the standard model, differential geometry and its applications in physics and cosmic ray physics.

The Jorge André Swieca Summer School is a traditional school in Latin America well known for the high level of its courses and lecturers. This book contains lectures on forefront areas of high energy physics, such as collider physics, neutrino phenomenology, noncommutative field theory, string theory and branes.

This volume contains the lecture notes of the VI J A S Summer School. The topics covered are particle physics phenomenology, dynamical symmetry breaking, conformal theory.

The quantum theory is the first theoretical approach that helps one to successfully understand the atomic and sub-atomic worlds which are too far from the cognition based on the common intuition or the experience of the daily-life. This is a very coherent theory in which a good system of hypotheses and appropriate mathematical methods allow one to describe exactly the dynamics of the quantum systems whose measurements are systematically affected by objective uncertainties. Thanks to the quantum theory we are able now to use and control new quantum devices and technologies in quantum optics and lasers, quantum electronics and quantum computing or in the modern field of nano-technologies.

The J. A. Swieca Summer School series is organized by the Brazilian Physics Society. The VIII school was dedicated to topics in astrophysics, chaos, nuclear structure and reactions, and to QCD in nuclear physics.