New applications of the renormalization group method in physics -- a brief introduction

TL;DR

This paper introduces the renormalization group method, highlighting its revolutionary impact across various physics fields and reviewing recent advances in its applications to atomic, condensed matter, nuclear, and particle physics.

Contribution

It provides a brief overview of the renormalization group method and emphasizes its universal aspects and recent progress in multiple physics disciplines.

Findings

Renormalization group has revolutionized understanding of phase transitions and turbulence.

Recent progress includes applications in atomic, condensed matter, nuclear, and particle physics.

Universal themes unify diverse applications of the method.

Abstract

The renormalization group method developed by Ken Wilson more than four decades ago has revolutionized the way we think about problems involving a broad range of energy scales such as phase transitions, turbulence, continuum limits and bifurcations in dynamical systems. The theme issue provides articles reviewing recent progress made using the renormalization group method in atomic, condensed matter, nuclear and particle physics. In the following we introduce these articles in a way that emphasizes common themes and the universal aspects of the method.