A comprehensible introduction to the most fascinating research in theoretical physics: advanced quantum gravity. Ideal for researchers and graduate students.

This book provides an accessible introduction to loop quantum gravity and some of its applications, at a level suitable for undergraduate students and others with only a minimal knowledge of college level physics. In particular it is not assumed that the reader is familiar with general relativity and only minimally familiar with quantum mechanics and Hamiltonian mechanics. Most chapters end with problems that elaborate on the text, and aid learning. Applications such as loop quantum cosmology, black hole entropy and spin foams are briefly covered. The text is ideally suited for an undergraduate course in the senior year of a physics major. It can also be used to introduce undergraduates to general relativity and quantum field theory as part of a 'special topics' type of course.

Quantum gravity is perhaps the most important open problem in fundamental physics. It is the problem of merging quantum mechanics and general relativity, the two great conceptual revolutions in the physics of the twentieth century. The loop and spinfoam approach, presented in this 2004 book, is one of the leading research programs in the field. The first part of the book discusses the reformulation of the basis of classical and quantum Hamiltonian physics required by general relativity. The second part covers the basic technical research directions. Appendices include a detailed history of the subject of quantum gravity, hard-to-find mathematical material, and a discussion of some philosophical issues raised by the subject. This fascinating text is ideal for graduate students entering the field, as well as researchers already working in quantum gravity. It will also appeal to philosophers and other scholars interested in the nature of space and time.

Containing contributions from leading researchers in this field, this book provides a complete overview of this field from the frontiers of theoretical physics research for graduate students and researchers. It introduces the most current approaches to this problem, and reviews their main achievements.

Quantum theory and Einstein's theory of relativity are at the centre of modern theoretical physics, yet, the consistent unification of both theories is still elusive. This book offers an up-to-date introduction into the attempts to construct a unified theory of "quantum gravity".

The first comprehensive survey of (2+1)-dimensional quantum gravity - for graduate students and researchers.

Loop quantum gravity (LQG) had its origins with theories based on the quantum geometries of space-time. Theoretical physics has been working towards developing a theory of everything (TOE) for decades. The spirit of the effort appears to have a basis in fact as experimental evidence from The Large Hadron Collider and The Hubble Telescope continue to provide pieces of information that both confirm theories (Higgs Boson) and continue to raise new and confounding issues such as Dark Matter and Dark Energy. LQG is a remarkable attempt to incorporate the math of quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of general relativity. A major focus is on developing the math of the geometric "granularity" or quantization of space. The fundamental concept behind LQG is that space is mathematically modeled as a very fine interconnected network of finite loops. These 'loops' form structures on the order of a Planck Length which is approximately 10 DEGREES DEGREES-35 meters. There are basically two variations being explored in LQG with one being canonical loop quantum gravity and a more recent variant known as covariant loop quantum gravity or 'spin-foam' theory. LQG is also being applied to the field of cosmology and is termed Loop Quantum Cosmology (LQC). This book is designed to be a reference and provide an overview of the topic and give the reader a structured knowledge to familiarize yourself with the topic at the most affordable price possible. The accuracy and knowledge is of an international viewpoint as the edited articles represent the inputs of many knowledgeable individuals and some of the most current knowledge on the topic, based on the date of publication.