Effective Spacetime - Understanding Emergence in Effective Field Theory and Quantum Gravity

This book discusses the notion that quantum gravity may represent the "breakdown" of spacetime at extremely high energy scales. If spacetime does not exist at the fundamental level, then it has to be considered "emergent", in other words an effective structure, valid at low energy scales. The author develops a conception of emergence appropriate to effective theories in physics, and shows how it applies (or could apply) in various approaches to quantum gravity, including condensed matter approaches, discrete approaches, and loop quantum gravity.

List of contents

Introduction: Spacetime and quantum gravity.- Emergence and reduction.- Effective field theory.- Universality, higher organising principles and emergence.- Spacetime as described by EFT.- Discrete approaches to quantum gravity.- Loop quantum gravity.-  Conclusion: Now here from nowhere.

About the author

Karen Crowther works in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Geneva. She holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, a BSc. (Hons.), and a BA. (Hons.) from Monash University.

Summary

This book discusses the notion that quantum gravity may represent the "breakdown" of spacetime at extremely high energy scales. If spacetime does not exist at the fundamental level, then it has to be considered "emergent", in other words an effective structure, valid at low energy scales. The author develops a conception of emergence appropriate to effective theories in physics, and shows how it applies (or could apply) in various approaches to quantum gravity, including condensed matter approaches, discrete approaches, and loop quantum gravity.

Product details

• Authors: Karen Crowther, Karen J. Crowther
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.01.2016
• EAN: 9783319395067
• ISBN: 978-3-31-939506-7
• No. of pages: 205
• Dimensions: 160 mm x 18 mm x 243 mm
• Weight: 486 g
• Illustrations: IX, 205 p. 21 illus.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Physics, astronomy > Theoretical physics; Physik, Gravitation, B, Wissenschaftsphilosophie und -theorie, History of Science, Physics, Cosmology, Physics and Astronomy, Philosophical Foundations of Physics and Astronomy, History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics, Relativity physics, Classical and Quantum Gravity, Classical and Quantum Gravitation, Relativity Theory