Related papers: Geometric Structures and Loop Variables in (2+1)-D…
We calculate the one-loop divergences for quantum gravity with cosmological constant, using new parametrization of quantum metric. The conformal factor of the metric is treated as an independent variable. As a result the theory possesses an…
We study a new two-dimensional quantum gravity theory, based on a gravitational action containing both the familiar Liouville term and the Mabuchi functional, which has been shown to be related to the coupling of non-conformal matter to…
The configuration space of general relativity is superspace - the space of all Riemannian 3-metrics modulo diffeomorphisms. However, it has been argued that the configuration space for gravity should be conformal superspace - the space of…
We compare three approaches to the quantization of (2+1)-dimensional gravity with a negative cosmological constant: reduced phase space quantization with the York time slicing, quantization of the algebra of holonomies, and quantization of…
The scalar-tensor theories of gravity in spacetime dimensions $D+1>2$ are studied. By doing Hamiltonian analysis, we obtain the geometrical dynamics of the theories from their Lagrangian. The Hamiltonian formalism indicates that the…
We propose a step-by-step manual for the construction of alternative theories of gravity, perturbatively as well as nonperturbatively. The construction is guided by no more than two fundamental principles that we impose on the gravitational…
We consider modified theories of gravity with a direct coupling between matter and geometry, denoted by an arbitrary function in terms of the Ricci scalar. Due to such a coupling, the matter stress tensor is no longer conserved and there is…
These notes are a didactic overview of the non perturbative and background independent approach to a quantum theory of gravity known as loop quantum gravity. The definition of real connection variables for general relativity, used as a…
The abstract quantum algebra of observables for 2+1 gravity is analysed in the limit of small cosmological constant. The algebra splits into two sets with an explicit phase space representation;~one set consists of $6g-6$ {\it commuting}…
We construct local and nonlocal Hamiltonian structures and variational symplectic structures for the $(2+1)$-dimensional Euler equation in the vorticity form and study the action of the local Hamiltonian and symplectic structures on the…
A relation between the MacDowell-Mansouri theory of gravity and the Pontrjagin toplogical invariant in $(3+1)$ dimensions is discussed. This relation may be of especial interest in the quest of finding a mechanism to go from non-dynamical…
It is commonly accepted that the study of 2+1 dimensional quantum gravity could teach us something about the 3+1 dimensional case. The non-perturbative methods developed in this case share, as basic ingredient, a reformulation of gravity as…
Polymer quantum mechanics has been studied as a simplified picture that reflects some of the key properties of Loop Quantum Gravity; however, while the fate of relativistic symmetries in Loop Quantum Gravity is still not established, it is…
The extended conformal algebra (so)(2,3) of global, quantum, constants of motion in 2+1 dimensional gravity with topology R x T^2 and negative cosmological constant is reviewed. It is shown that the 10 global constants form a complete set…
The quantum-reduced loop-gravity technique has been introduced for dealing with cosmological models. We show that it can be applied rather generically: anytime the spatial metric can be gauge-fixed to a diagonal form. The technique selects…
We propose a mathematical structure, based on a noncommutative geometry, which combines essential aspects of general relativity and quantum mechanics, and leads to correct "limiting cases" of both these theories. We quantize a groupoid…
We consider two-dimensional quantum gravity coupled to matter fields which are renormalizable, but not conformal invariant. Questions concerning the $\b$ function and the effective action are addressed, and the effective action and the…
In these lectures we review our present understanding of the fractal structure of two-dimensional Euclidean quantum gravity coupled to matter.
We make some remarks on the group of symmetries in gravity; we believe that K-theory and noncommutative geometry inescepably have to play an important role. Furthermore we make some comments and questions on the recent work of Connes and…
Inhomogeneous cosmological perturbation equations are derived in loop quantum gravity, taking into account corrections in particular in gravitational parts. This provides a framework for calculating the evolution of modes in structure…