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JOURNALS // Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications // Archive

SIGMA, 2011 Volume 7, 104, 12 pp. (Mi sigma662)

The Space of Connections as the Arena for (Quantum) Gravity

Steffen Gielen

Albert Einstein Institute, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Golm, Germany

Abstract: We review some properties of the space of connections as the natural arena for canonical (quantum) gravity, and compare to the case of the superspace of 3-metrics. We detail how a 1-parameter family of metrics on the space of connections arises from the canonical analysis for general relativity which has a natural interpretation in terms of invariant tensors on the algebra of the gauge group. We also review the description of canonical GR as a geodesic principle on the space of connections, and comment on the existence of a time variable which could be used in the interpretation of the quantum theory.

Keywords: canonical quantum gravity, gravitational connection, semisimple Lie algebras, infinite-dimensional manifolds.

MSC: 22E70; 51P05; 53C05; 53C80; 83C05; 83C45

Received: August 30, 2011; in final form November 9, 2011; Published online November 11, 2011

Language: English

DOI: 10.3842/SIGMA.2011.104



Bibliographic databases:
ArXiv: 1111.2672


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