Euclidean Quantum Gravity

by G.W. Gibbons (Editor), Stephen W. Hawking (Editor)

The Euclidean approach to Quantum Gravity was initiated almost 15 years ago in an attempt to understand the difficulties raised by the spacetime singularities of classical general relativity which arise in the gravitational collapse of stars to form black holes and the entire universe in the Big Bang. An important motivation was to develop an approach capable of dealing with the nonlinear, non-perturbative aspects of quantum gravity due to topologically non-trivial spacetimes. There are important links with a Riemannian geometry. Since its inception the theory has been applied to a number of important physical problems including the thermodynamic properties of black holes, quantum cosmology and the problem of the cosmological constant. It is currently at the centre of a great deal of interest.This is a collection of survey lectures and reprints of some important lectures on the Euclidean approach to quantum gravity in which one expresses the Feynman path integral as a sum over Riemannian metrics. As well as papers on the basic formalism there are sections on Black Holes, Quantum Cosmology, Wormholes and Gravitational Instantons.

Genres: Science, Physics

600 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1993

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[albin james · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confidential


I just wanted to tell you
That your face and your smile
Will stay close to me on my path

To tell you that it was real
Everything we said and did
That it wasn't a lie, that it was good

Nothing must be ever regretted
Even if it hurts, it is won
All these moments, all these similar mornings

I won't tell you that you shouldn't cry
There is really no cause to deprive yourself from it
And all that we haven't missed, it worthed it

We may meet again
We may not
But you have to know that down here, I am there

It will stay like a light
That will keep me warm at my winters
A little fire of you that will never burn out

- Jean-Jacques Goldman