On the Emergence of Time in Quantum Gravity

Abstract

We discuss from a philosophical perspective the way in which the normal concept of time might be said to `emerge' in a quantum theory of gravity. After an introduction, we briefly discuss the notion of emergence, without regard to time (Section 2). We then introduce the search for a quantum theory of gravity (Section 3); and review some general interpretative issues about space, time and matter Section 4). We then discuss the emergence of time in simple quantum geometrodynamics, and in the Euclidean approach (Section 5). Section 6 concludes.

To appear in ``The Arguments of Time'', ed. J. Butterfield, Oxford University Press, 1999

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Raiders of the lost spacetime
• Change in Hamiltonian General Relativity from the Lack of a Time-like Killing Vector Field
• From configuration to dynamics -- Emergence of Lorentz signature in classical field theory
• Background independent condensed matter models for quantum gravity
• Isomorphism between the local Poincare generalized translations group and the group of spacetime transformations (x LB1)4
• Tunneling in attosecond optical ionization and a dynamical time operator
• Quantization of the Taub cosmological model with extrinsic time