| Description |
1 online resource (xi, 139 pages) |
| Series |
World Scientific lecture notes in physics ; v. 69 |
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World Scientific lecture notes in physics ; v. 69
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| Contents |
Ch. 1. Introduction -- ch. 2. The gravitational field as a constrained Hamiltonian system. 2.1. Momentum and Hamiltonian constraints. 2.2. Minisuperspaces as constrained systems. 2.3. Quantization -- ch. 3. Deparametrization and path integral quantization. 3.1. The identification of time. 3.2. Gauge-invariant action for a parametrized system. 3.3. Path integral. 3.4. Examples -- ch. 4. Homogeneous relativistic cosmologies. 4.1. Isotropic universes. 4.2. Anisotropic universes -- ch. 5. String cosmologies. 5.1. String theory on background fields. 5.2. String cosmological models. 5.3. Path integral quantization -- ch. 6. Canonical quantization. 6.1. Approximate solutions of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. 6.2. Gauge fixation and Schrodinger equation for isotropic models. 6.3. The Taub universe. 6.4. String cosmologies -- ch. 7. Discussion |
| Summary |
The problem of time is a central feature of quantum cosmology: differing from ordinary quantum mechanics, in cosmology there is nothing "outside" the system which plays the role of clock, and this makes difficult the obtention of a consistent quantization. A possible solution is to assume that a subset of the variables describing the state of the universe can be a clock for the remaining of the system. Following this line, in this book a new proposal consisting in the previous identification of time by means of gauge fixation is applied to the quantization of homogeneous cosmological models. Both path integral and canonical formulations are studied for relativistic and string cosmologies; in particular, a complete chapter about low energy string cosmology is included. The required basic concepts (as for example the Hamiltonian formulation of General Relativity) are reviewed, so that the book can be of interest not only for a researcher but also for a student |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 133-135) and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
Quantum gravity.
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Space and time.
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Path integrals.
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Gauge invariance.
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Hamiltonian systems.
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SCIENCE -- Cosmology.
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Gauge invariance
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Hamiltonian systems
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Path integrals
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Quantum gravity
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Space and time
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Física teórica.
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| ISBN |
9789812778376 |
|
9812778373 |
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