Related papers: Quantum Gravity/String/M-theory/ as we approach th…
I describe our understanding of physics near the Planck length, in particular the great progress in the last four years in string theory. These are lectures presented at the 1998 SLAC Summer Institute.
It is generally assumed that the search for a consistent and testable theory of quantum gravity is among the most important open problems of fundamental physics. I review the motivations for this search, the main problems on the way, and…
I describe the recent progress in resolving two problems of nonperturbative bosonic string inherited from 1980's. Both the lattice and KPZ-DDK no-go theorems can be bypassed thanks to specific features of the theory with diffeomorphism…
A discursive, non-technical, analysis is made of some of the basic issues that arise in almost any approach to quantum gravity, and of how these issues stand in relation to recent developments in the field. Specific topics include the…
Quantum gravity has matured over the last decade to a theory which can tell in a precise and explicit way how cosmological singularities of general relativity are removed. A branch of the universe "before" the classical big bang is obtained…
As quantum theory celebrates its 100th birthday, spectacular successes are mixed with outstanding puzzles and promises of new technologies. This article reviews both the successes of quantum theory and the ongoing debate about its…
We present a bird's-eye survey on the development of fundamental ideas of quantum gravity, placing emphasis on perturbative approaches, string theory, loop quantum gravity, and black hole thermodynamics. The early ideas at the dawn of…
I review some aspects of non-critical strings in connection with Lorentz-Invariance violating approaches to quantum gravity. I also argue how non-critical strings may provide a unifying framework where string Cosmology and quantum gravity…
I review and discuss some recent developments in non-perturbative approaches to quantum gravity, with an emphasis on discrete formulations, and those coming from a classical connection description.
Should nature be supersymmetric, then it will be described by Quantum Supergravity at least in some energy regimes. The currently most advanced description of Quantum Supergravity and beyond is Superstring Theory/M-Theory in 10/11…
Work in progress is described which aims to construct a background independent formulation of M theory by extending results about background independent states and observables from quantum general relativity and supergravity to string…
We review the approach to quantum gravity based on supersymmetry, strings, and holography. This includes a survey of black holes in higher-dimensions, supersymmetry and supergravity, as well as string theory, black hole microstates, and the…
The search for a theory of quantum gravity faces two great challenges: the incredibly small scales of the Planck length and time, and the possibility that the observed constants of nature are in part the result of random processes. A…
I briefly review several important formal theory developments in quantum field theory and string theory that were reported at ICHEP conferences in past decades, and explain how they underlie a new research area referred to as physical or…
We comment on the present status, the concepts and their limitations, and the successes and open problems of the various approaches to a relativistic quantum theory of elementary particles, with a hindsight to questions concerning quantum…
I review, for the benefit of younger physicists, arguments proposed at the beginning of the 21st century, which show that it is misleading to think of the parameters in string theory models of quantum gravity as vacuum expectation values of…
Some recent developments in the theory of quantum spin systems are reviewed.
In a natural extension of the relativity principle we argue that a quantum theory of gravity involves two fundamental scales associated with both dynamical space-time as well as dynamical momentum space. This view of quantum gravity is…
I sketch the main lines of development of the research in quantum gravity, from the first explorations in the early thirties to nowadays.
Recent years have seen noteworthy progress in the mathematical formulation of quantum field theory and perturbative string theory. We give a brief survey of these developments. It serves as an introduction to the more detailed collection…