Topology change in classical and quantum gravity

Abstract

In these two lectures I describe the difficulties one encounters when trying to construct a framework in which to describe topology change in classical general relativity where one sticks to the assumption of an everywhere non-singular Lorentzian metric and how these difficulties can be circumvented in the Euclidean approach to quantum gravity.

27 pages, no figures, Published in Mt. Sorak Symposium 1991:159-185 (QCD161:S939:1991) Developments in Field Theory, ed. Jihn E Kim (Min Eum Sa, Seoul) (1992)

Cited by in corpus (13)

• Quantum de Sitter horizon entropy from quasicanonical bulk, edge, sphere and topological string partition functions
• Eternal Black Holes and Superselection in AdS/CFT
• Higher Derivative Scalar Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime
• The Smallest Shape Spaces. I. Shape Theory Posed, with Example of 3 Points on the Line
• The Smallest Shape Spaces. II. 4 Points in 1-d Suffices to have a Complex Background-Independent Theory of Inhomogeneity
• Shape Theory. III. Comparative Theory of Backgound Independence
• Global solvability of the vacuum Einstein equation and the strong cosmic censorship in four dimensions
• Absolute versus Relational Debate: a Modern Global Version
• Background Independence: ${\mathbb{S}}^1$ and $\mathbb{R}$ absolute spaces differ greatly in Shape-and-Scale Theory
• Topological Shape Theory
• Rubber Relationalism: Smallest Graph-Theoretically Nontrivial Leibniz Spaces
• The Fundamental Group of a Spatial Section Represented by a Topspin Network
• Comparative Theory of Background Independence