Why Do We Want a Theory of Quantum Gravity?

The search for a new scientific theory is typically prompted by an encounter with something in the world that cannot be explained by current theories. This is not the case for the search for a theory of quantum gravity, which has been primarily motivated by theoretical and philosophical concerns. This Element introduces some of the motivations for seeking a theory of quantum gravity, with the aim of instigating a more critical perspective on how they are used in defining and constraining the theory sought. These motivations include unification, incompatibilities between general relativity and quantum field theory, consistency, singularity resolution, and results from black hole thermodynamics.

List of contents

Contents; 1. Introduction; 2. Incompatibilities between GR and QFT; 3. The primary motivation: reconciling the two pillars; 4. Unification; 5. Quantization; 6. Singularity resolution; 7. Black hole thermodynamics; References.

Product details

• Authors: Karen Crowther, Karen (Universitetet I Oslo) Crowther
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2025
• EAN: 9781108813181
• ISBN: 978-1-108-81318-1
• No. of pages: 98
• Series: Elements in the Philosophy of Physics
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works; PHILOSOPHY / General, Astrophysics, Gravity, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Quantum physics (quantum mechanics and quantum field theory), Relativity physics