Includes bibliographical references (pages 383-391) and index.
CONTENTS NOTE
Text of Note
Introduction -- Conformal field theory in Minkowski space -- Conformal field theory in Euclidean space -- Basis of two-dimensional conformal field theory -- Conformal anomaly and Wess-Zumino action -- Two-dimensional quantum gravity -- Background-free quantum gravity -- Physical states of quantum gravity -- Gravitational counterterms and conformal anomalies -- Renomalization in quantum gravity -- The universe in Einstein gravity -- Quantum gravity cosmology -- Cosmological perturbation theory -- From quantum gravity to CMB -- Appendix A: Useful gravitational formulas -- Appendix B : Addenda to conformal field theory -- Appendix C : Useful functions on three-sphere -- Appendix D : Addenda to renormalization theory -- Appendix E : Addenda to cosmology.
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SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
"What is the world beyond the Planck scale that provides the minimum unit of the universe? The goal of quantum gravity is to reveal physical laws in such a world. There, quantum fluctuations of gravity become large, and what is called a background-free world where the concept of time and distance is lost shall be realized. The renormalizable quantum gravity introduced in this book offers a theory in which such a world is described by a certain conformal field theory and a deviation from there is handled as a perturbation. This is the state-of-the-art of modern physics that will help in understanding the history of the universe, from its birth to the present." -- Back cover.