Related papers: Fun in 2+1
We construct a duality between several simple physical systems by showing that they are different aspects of the same quantum theory. Examples include the free relativistic massless particle and the hydrogen atom in any number of…
The paper deals with the concepts of mass and gravity in the formalism of 4-dimensional optics, previously introduced by the author. It is shown that elementary particles can be associated with 4-dimensional standing wave patterns with the…
The relation between Einstein gravity and the Chern-Simons gauge theory of the Poincare' group is discussed at the classical level.
The primary aim of this chapter is, commemorating the 150th anniversary of Riemann's death, to explain how the idea of {\it Riemann sum} is linked to other branches of mathematics. The materials I treat are more or less classical and…
The quantum gravity problem of N point particles interacting with the gravitational field in 2+1 dimensions is approached working out the phase-space functional integral. The maximally slicing gauge is adopted for a non compact open…
This is a slightly expanded version of my talk at Future Perspectives in Theoretical Physics and Cosmology, Stephen Hawking's 60th Birthday Worshop. I describe some of the issues that were important in gauged supergravity in the 1980's and…
In celebration of Professor Ron Doney's 80th birthday, we provide a summary of his academic career and contributions to probability theory, as one of the UK's leading probabilists for over 50 years. A version of this note also serves as an…
Modified gravity theories have received increased attention lately due to combined motivation coming from high-energy physics, cosmology and astrophysics. Among numerous alternatives to Einstein's theory of gravity, theories which include…
This text follows the line of a talk on Ringberg symposium dedicated to Wolfhart Zimmermann 70th birthday. The historical overview (Part 1) partially overlaps with corresponding text of my previous commemorative paper. At the same time…
We study gravitational theory in 1+2 spacetime dimensions which is determined by the Lagrangian constructed as a sum of the Einstein-Hilbert term plus the two (translational and rotational) gravitational Chern-Simons terms. When the…
The distinct models that describe spin 1 and 2 massive excitations in 2+1 dimensions are analized, showing their equivalence (between models of same spin) and analogies (between models of different spin). Topics as spontaneous symmetry…
DGRAV News: We hear that.... DGRAV Student Travel Grants Town Hall Meeting GRG Society Research Briefs: What's new in LIGO Conference Reports: Christodoulou Conference Obituaries: Stephen Hawking (1942-2018) Joseph Polchinski (1954-2018)
It is shown that the reduced particle dynamics of 2+1 dimensional gravity in the maximally slicing gauge is of hamiltonian nature. We give the exact diffeomorphism which transforms the expression of the spinning cone geometry in the Deser,…
In these notes we will review some approaches to 2+1 dimensional gravity and the way it is coupled to point-particles. First we look into some exact static and stationary solutions with and without cosmological constant. Next we study the…
I argue that the first-order formalism recently found to describe classical 2+1-Gravity with matter, is also able to include higher topologies. The present gauge, which is conformal with vanishing York time, is characterized by an analytic…
This is a review with the ambitious goal of covering the recent progress in: 1) universal relations (in general relativity and alternative theories of gravity), and 2) neutron star models in alternative theories. We also aim to be…
Pure gauge theories for de Sitter, anti de Sitter and orthogonal groups, in four-dimensional Euclidean spacetime, are studied. It is shown that, if the theory is asymptotically free and a dynamical mass is generated, then an effective…
General Relativity (GR) revolutionized the way we thought about gravity. After briefly describing the key successes of GR and its impact, I will discuss the major conceptual challenges it faces today. I conclude by outlining the prospective…
I discuss the early developments of string theory with respect to its connection with gauge theory and general relativity from my own perspective. The period covered is mainly from 1969 to 1974, during which I became involved in research on…
Models that involve extra dimensions have introduced completely new ways of looking up on old problems in theoretical physics. The aim of the present notes is to provide a brief introduction to the many uses that extra dimensions have found…