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Quantum gravity in terms of topological observables

High Energy Physics - Theory 2007-05-23 v2 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

We recast the action principle of four dimensional General Relativity so that it becomes amenable for perturbation theory which doesn't break general covariance. The coupling constant becomes dimensionless (G_{Newton} \Lambda) and extremely small 10^{-120}. We give an expression for the generating functional of perturbation theory. We show that the partition function of quantum General Relativity can be expressed as an expectation value of a certain topologically invariant observable. This sets up a framework in which quantum gravity can be studied perturbatively using the techniques of topological quantum field theory.

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Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-th/0501191,
  title  = {Quantum gravity in terms of topological observables},
  author = {Laurent Freidel and Artem Starodubtsev},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-th/0501191},
  year   = {2007}
}

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19 pages