Course description
Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is the mathematical theory that describes the strong nuclear force in terms of interactions between quarks and gluons. It is an integral part of the Standard Model and fundamental to our understanding of particle physics.
At low energies, QCD cannot be treated perturbatively, so non-perturbative tools are required. Lattice Field Theory is a method for computing observables in generic quantum field theories using the path integral formulation, where the theory is defined on a discrete spacetime lattice. Physical observables are then evaluated numerically using Monte Carlo methods. Lattice QCD is the application of this approach to QCD.
Over the past few decades, lattice QCD has become a well-established field of research, relying on some of the world’s largest supercomputing facilities. This course provides an introduction to this area of study.
