English

Directions in Causal Set Quantum Gravity

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2011-04-01 v1

Abstract

In the causal set approach to quantum gravity the spacetime continuum arises as an approximation to a fundamentally discrete substructure, the causal set, which is a locally finite partially ordered set. The causal set paradigm was elucidated in a classic paper by Bombelli, Lee, Meyer and Sorkin in 1987. While early kinematical results already showed promise, the program received a substantial impetus about a decade ago with the work of Rideout and Sorkin on a classical stochastic growth dynamics for causal sets. Considerable progress has been made ever since in our understanding of causal set theory while leaving undisturbed the basic paradigm. Recent highlights include a causal set expression for the Einstein-Hilbert action and the construction of a scalar field Feynman propagator on a fixed causal set. The aim of the present article is to give a broad overview of the results in causal set theory while pointing out directions for future investigations.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1103.6272,
  title  = {Directions in Causal Set Quantum Gravity},
  author = {Sumati Surya},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1103.6272},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

31 pages, 7 figures, To appear in Recent Research in Quantum Gravity, edited by A. Dasgupta (Nova Science Publishers NY)

R2 v1 2026-06-21T17:47:53.228Z