C8556 - INTRODUCTION TO QUANTUM MANY BODY SYSTEMS

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will master the main concepts and techniques of quantum many-body theory, ranging from mean-field methods and canonical transformations in Fock space to Green’s functions and Feynman diagrams. Practical familiarity with these tools will be gained through an in-depth study of selected paradigmatic models.

Course contents

• Theory of dilute Bose gases
• BCS theory of superconductivity
• Lattice models for strongly correlated systems: Hubbard model, itinerant ferromagnetism, and Heisenberg model
• Green’s functions for many-body systems: generalities and observables
• Spectral weight-function, quasi-particles, and Fermi liquids
• Perturbative expansion & Feynman diagrams, self-energy

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes (made available on virtuale.unibo.it)

Further readings:

A. L. Fetter, J. D. Walecka, Quantum theory of many-particle systems

P. Coleman, Introduction to many body physics

G. Baym and C. Pethick, Landau Fermi-Liquid Theory: Concepts and Applications (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2008)

G. C. Strinati, Many-Body Green's function for time dependent problems (Cambridge U. Press, 2026)

Teaching methods

Traditional lecture-based teaching (using the blackboard, without slides)

Assessment methods

Oral exam: students will be asked to answer three/four questions on different topics covered by the course.

Students should demonstrate to be familiar and have a good understanding of the different subjects.

The final grade of the exam is established according to the following scheme:

Grade 18-19: basic knowledge and ability to analyze only a very limited number of topics covered in the course; overall correct language.

Grade 20-25: discrete knowledge and ability to analyze only a limited number of topics covered in the course; overall correct language.

Grade: 26-28: good knowledge and ability to analyze a large number of topics covered in the course; mastery of scientific language and correct use of specific terminology.

Grade: 29-30: comprehensive preparation on the topics covered in the course, showing a very good/excellent knowledge and ability analysis; mastery of scientific language and correct use of specific terminology.

The “cum laude” honor is granted to students who demonstrate the ability to organize comparative analyses and personal/critical rethinking of the subject

 

According to the general rules of the University, students will be allowed to reject the grade only once, but they can withdraw at any time during the exam.

For students with learning disabilities or temporary or permanent disabilities, please contact the relevant University office promptly (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it). The office will recommend any adjustments, which must be submitted to the instructor for approval 15 days in advance, who will evaluate their suitability, also taking into account the course's learning objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Pierbiagio Pieri