English

Transition probability spaces in loop quantum gravity

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2018-03-15 v5

Abstract

We study the (generalized) transition probability spaces, in the sense of Mielnik and Cantoni, for spacetime quantum states in loop quantum gravity. First, we show that loop quantum gravity admits the structures of transition probability spaces. This is exemplified by first checking such structures in covariant quantum mechanics, and then identify the transition probability spaces in spin foam models via a simplified discrete version of general boundary formulation. The transition probability space thus defined gives a simple way to reconstruct the discrete analog of the Hilbert space of the canonical theory and the relevant quantum logical structures. Second, we show that the transition probability space and in particular the spin foam model are 2-categories. Then we discuss how to realize in spin foam models two proposals by Crane about the mathematical structures of quantum gravity, namely the quantum topos and causal sites. We conclude that transition probability spaces provide us with an alternative framework to understand various foundational questions of loop quantum gravity.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1611.05325,
  title  = {Transition probability spaces in loop quantum gravity},
  author = {Xiao-Kan Guo},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1611.05325},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

v5, 33 pages, some points clarified

R2 v1 2026-06-22T16:54:28.303Z