Quantum Theory of Many-Particle Systems by Fetter and Walecka is a foundational graduate-level text providing a unified treatment of nonrelativistic many-body physics, with the 2003 Dover edition serving as a widely available reprint. The text covers essential topics including second quantization, Green's functions, and applications like superconductivity and nuclear matter. Legitimate copies of this seminal work can be purchased via Dover Publications Dover Publications | Dover Books

  • Field operator expansions: ψ(r) = Σk ak φk(r) and the algebra [a, a†]± = δ.
  • Single-particle Green’s function: G(1,2) = −i ⟨T[ψ(1) ψ†(2)]⟩ and spectral representation relating G to excitations.
  • Dyson’s equation: G = G0 + G0 Σ G, defining the self-energy Σ.
  • Kubo formula for linear response: χAB(ω) = (i/ħ) ∫0^∞ dt e^iωt ⟨[A(t),B(0)]⟩.
  • Matsubara sums and analytic continuation to real frequencies.

Understanding Fetter and Walecka’s Quantum Theory of Many-Particle Systems

Introduction

has served as a cornerstone for graduate students venturing into condensed matter and nuclear physics. If you are searching for a "new" version, you are likely looking for the modern Dover Publications edition