Work

Spacetime is as spacetime does

Year: 2018

Type: preprint

Abstract: Theories of quantum gravity generically presuppose or predict that the reality underlying relativistic spacetimes they are describing is significantly non-spatiotemporal. On pain of empirical incoherence, approaches to quantum gravity must establish how relativistic spacetime emerges from their non-spatiotemporal structures. We argue that in order to secure this emergence, it is sufficient to establish that only those features of relativistic spacetimes functionally relevant in producing empirical evidence must be recovered. In order to complete this task, an account must be given of how the more fundamental structures instantiate these functional roles. We illustrate the general idea in the context of causal set theory and loop quantum gravity, two prominent approaches to quantum gravity.

Source: PhilSci-Archive (University of Pittsburgh)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1803.04374

Authors: Lam, Vincent, Wuthrich, Christian

Institutions: University of Geneva, The University of Queensland, Institut Néel, Université Grenoble Alpes

Language: English

Topic: Noncommutative and Quantum Gravity Theories

Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: John Templeton Foundation, Université de Genève, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Awards: G2496060857, Space and Time After Quantum Gravity