Modern physics rests on two fundamental building blocks: general relativity and quantum theory. General relativity is a geometric interpretation of gravity while quantum theory governs the microscopic behaviour of matter. Since matter is described by quantum theory which in turn couples to geometry, we need a quantum theory of gravity. In order to construct quantum gravity one must reformulate quantum theory on a background independent way. Modern Canonical Quantum General Relativity provides a complete treatise of the canonical quantisation of general relativity. The focus is on detailing the conceptual and mathematical framework, on describing physical applications and on summarising the status of this programme in its most popular incarnation, called loop quantum gravity. Mathematical concepts and their relevance to physics are provided within this book, which therefore can be read by graduate students with basic knowledge of quantum field theory or general relativity.

Author: Thomas Thiemann
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 12/01/2008
Series: Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics
Pages: 846
Weight: 3.1lbs
Size: 9.70h x 6.80w x 1.80d
ISBN: 9780521741873

About the Author
Thiemann, Thomas: - Thomas Thiemann is Staff Scientist at the Max Planck Institut für Gravitationsphysik (Albert Einstein Institut), Potsdam, Germany. He is also a long-term researcher at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Thomas Thiemann obtained his PhD in theoretical physics from the Rheinisch-Westfälisch Technische Hochschule, Aachen, Germany. He held two year postdoctoral positions at The Pennsylvania State University and Harvard University. As of 2005 he holds a guest professor position at Beijing Normal University, China.