Today I asked this question and it was almost immediately closed, so I edited trying to make it more focused, but it still remained closed. The question is about the mathematical background needed to understand a physical subject (QFT in GR), without considering the mathematics needed to understand the singular parts (QFT and GR) that constitute it and that I already know. I really want to know how to understand the subject, so how can I ask the question in a way that fits the site policy?
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1$\begingroup$ Does S. Fulling cite to any references or mention any background material in their book (e.g., at the end of the each chapter or at the end of the book or maybe in the preface)? Or can you look up the bio or CV of S. Fulling and see what their background is and then what typical courses (e.g., search through a universities course offerings) one with that background would take? If you find these background courses then those will have their own webpages with lists of textbooks/syllabi etc. $\endgroup$– hftAug 4, 2022 at 18:07
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1$\begingroup$ @hft I checked the bibliography but wasn't of much help. I usually look for courses held from the authors of the book I read, but this time I didn't think about it, so thank you very much for the suggestion! $\endgroup$– Rob TanAug 5, 2022 at 13:03
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2 Answers
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The difficulties are:
- it’s not possible to answer this question using physics principles so de facto it’s not a good fit for the site,
- it’s not possible to make a sensible resource recommendation without understanding your background,
- You question has its own answer: the background needed is that required to understand the book by Fulling. Depending on 2. and on what is meant by “basics” of QFT and GR, this could be a lot or not much. Clearly, despite your claim that you know the topics independently, you clearly need to know more, but more than what?
As a personal opinion, I’m not sure it’s possible to “understand a physical subject (QFT in GR), without considering the mathematics needed to understand the singular parts (QFT and GR) that constitute it”, but maybe I’m misinterpreting what you want to do.
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$\begingroup$ 1) Good point, but how/where can I ask a question not just about something, but about the process of knowing something? Because to me this is important, if not more, at least as knowing something 2) Just the basics of QFT and GR, general notions, like knowing mechanics: a broad subject, but I know just what I think everyone knows at the start, more or less 3) I mean, QFT and GR is not the direct sum of the two subject, so I'd like to know what is X = QFTGR - QFT - GR. Thanks for your answer! $\endgroup$– Rob TanJul 29, 2022 at 8:03
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1$\begingroup$ @RobTan you can still ask for resource-recommendations but you'd have to be more specific than your current question. Right now it's overly broad because of 2. and 3. $\endgroup$ Jul 29, 2022 at 12:24
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$\begingroup$ The question about resources on the topic has already been made, but I found it unsatisfactory, because what was cited there was not what I was looking for. Maybe the book I'm looking for doesn't even exist: I always find cited as books the Birrell-Davies, Mukhanov-Winitzki, Parker-Toms, Wald and Fulling, but or they are not systematic, or they are a lot without many explanations and proofs; they are great books, I just need a more pedagogical approach. So I preferred to ask for what I miss in order to understand the most technical texts, that's it! Anyway, thanks again $\endgroup$– Rob TanJul 29, 2022 at 13:25
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I note that (at the time of writing) your question has one reopen vote, and I've just added a second so there's a decent chance of a third vote reopening your question.
Having said this, I'm not sure whether you'll get a useful answer. This site works best when we get a well focused question to which we can write well focused answers. Your question feels to me more like the opening of a discussion as at the moment it's a bit vague what you do and don't know, and the site was never intended for forum type discussions. Good luck anyway.
answered Jul 29, 2022 at 4:55
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$\begingroup$ Thank you very much. I thought that being the subject very specific, not talking about branes and quantum gravity, but just the early theory of QFT in curved background, it was a legit question to ask how to approach it mathematically, assuming the basics of the two singular subjects where known. I can't define what basics are, but it's general notion, so I'm assuming every introductory course in QFT and GR covers more or less the same subject. I tried to be more specific by citing a particular book I'm using, as a reference. Anyway, thanks again! $\endgroup$– Rob TanJul 29, 2022 at 8:09