G\"odel's undecidability theorems and the search for a theory of everything
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
2024-02-27 v2 High Energy Physics - Theory
History and Philosophy of Physics
Abstract
I investigate the question whether G\"odel's undecidability theorems play a crucial role in the search for a unified theory of physics. I conclude that unless the structure of space-time is fundamentally discrete we can never decide whether a given theory is the final one or not. This is relevant for both canonical quantum gravity and string theory.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2305.07331,
title = {G\"odel's undecidability theorems and the search for a theory of everything},
author = {Claus Kiefer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2305.07331},
year = {2024}
}
Comments
17 pages, prize winning essay awarded by the Kurt G\"odel Circle of Friends Berlin