This volume is a collection of lectures and selected papers by Giorgio Parisi on the subjects of Field Theory (perturbative expansions, nonperturbative phenomena and phase transitions), Disordered Systems (mainly spin glasses) and Computer Simulations (lattice gauge theories).The basic problems discussed in the Field Theory section concern the interplay between perturbation theory and nonperturbative phenomena which are present when one deals with infrared or ultraviolet divergences or with nonconvergent perturbative expansions. The section on Disordered Systems contains a complete discussion about the replica method and its probabilistic interpretation, and also includes a short paper on multifractals. In the Simulations section, there is a series of lectures devoted to the study of quantum chromodynamics and a review paper on simulations in complex systems.The works of Giorgio Parisi have repeatedly displayed a remarkable depth of originality and innovation, and have paved the way for new research in many areas. This personal selection of his lectures and papers, complete with an original introduction by him, undoubtedly serves as a vital reference book for physicists and mathematicians working in these fields.

This primer is aimed at elevating graduate students of condensed matter theory to a level where they can engage in independent research. Topics covered include second quantisation, path and functional field integration, mean-field theory and collective phenomena.

This book is a course in modern quantum field theory as seen through the eyes of a theorist working in condensed matter physics. It contains a gentle introduction to the subject and therefore can be used even by graduate students. The introductory parts include a derivation of the path integral representation, Feynman diagrams and elements of the theory of metals including a discussion of Landau–Fermi liquid theory. In later chapters the discussion gradually turns to more advanced methods used in the theory of strongly correlated systems. The book contains a thorough exposition of such non-perturbative techniques as 1/N-expansion, bosonization (Abelian and non-Abelian), conformal field theory and theory of integrable systems. The book is intended for graduate students, postdoctoral associates and independent researchers working in condensed matter physics.

This pedagogical and self-contained text describes the modern mean field theory of simple structural glasses. The book begins with a thorough explanation of infinite-dimensional models in statistical physics, before reviewing the key elements of the thermodynamic theory of liquids and the dynamical properties of liquids and glasses. The central feature of the mean field theory of disordered systems, the existence of a large multiplicity of metastable states, is then introduced. The replica method is then covered, before the final chapters describe important, advanced topics such as Gardner transitions, complexity, packing spheres in large dimensions, the jamming transition, and the rheology of glass. Presenting the theory in a clear and pedagogical style, this is an excellent resource for researchers and graduate students working in condensed matter physics and statistical mechanics.

CHEP (Computing in High Energy Physics) is the largest international meeting of the communities of High Energy Physics, Computing Science and the Computing Industry. The sixth conference in this series was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September 1995. The focus of the conference was “Computing for the next Millennium”. High Energy Physics is at a point where major changes in the way data acquisition and computing problems are addressed will be called for in the high energy physics programs of the year 2000 and beyond. The conference covered a wide spectrum of topics including Data Access, Storage, and Analysis; Data Acquisition and Triggering; Worldwide Collaboration and Networking; Tools, Languages, and Software Development Environments; and special purpose processing systems.The papers presented both recent progress and radical approaches to computing problems as candidates for the basis of future computing in the field of high energy physics.

This book is about the Random Field Ising Model (RFIM) – a paradigmatic spin model featuring a frozen disordering field. The focus is on the second-order phase transition between the paramagnetic and ferromagnetic phases, and the associated critical exponents. The book starts by summarizing the current knowledge about the RFIM from experiments, numerical simulations and rigorous mathematical results. It then reviews the classic theoretical works from the 1970’s which suggested a property of dimensional reduction – that the RFIM critical exponents should be the same as for the ordinary, non-disordered, Ising model of lower dimensionality, and related this an emergent Parisi-Sourlas supersymmetry. As is now known, these remarkable properties only hold when the spatial dimensionality of the model is larger than a critical dimension. The book presents a method to estimate the critical dimension, using standard tools such as the replica trick and perturbative renormalization group, whose result is in agreement with the numerical simulations. Some more elementary steps in the derivations are left as exercises for the readers. This book is of interest to researchers, PhD students and advanced master students specializing in statistical field theory.