Includes bibliographical references (pages 354-388) and index.
CONTENTS NOTE
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Cover -- Contents -- 1 Why quantum gravity? -- 1.1 Quantum theory and the gravitational field -- 1.2 Problems of a fundamentally semiclassical theory -- 1.3 Approaches to quantum gravity -- 2 Covariant approaches to quantum gravity -- 2.1 The concept of a graviton -- 2.2 Path-integral quantization -- 2.3 Quantum supergravity -- 3 Parametrized and relational systems -- 3.1 Particle systems -- 3.2 The free bosonic string -- 3.3 Parametrized field theories -- 3.4 Relational dynamical systems -- 3.5 General remarks on constrained systems
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4 Hamiltonian formulation of general relativity4.1 The seventh route to geometrodynamics -- 4.2 The 3+1 decomposition of general relativity -- 4.3 Canonical gravity with connections and loops -- 5 Quantum geometrodynamics -- 5.1 The programme of canonical quantization -- 5.2 The problem of time -- 5.3 The geometrodynamical wave function -- 5.4 The semiclassical approximation -- 6 Quantum gravity with connections and loops -- 6.1 Connection and loop variables -- 6.2 Quantization of area -- 6.3 Quantum Hamiltonian constraint -- 7 Quantization of black holes
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7.1 Black-hole thermodynamics and Hawking radiation7.2 Canonical quantization of the Schwarzschild black hole -- 7.3 Black-hole spectroscopy and entropy -- 7.4 Quantum theory of collapsing dust shells -- 7.5 The Lemaître�Tolman�Bondi model -- 7.6 The information-loss problem -- 7.7 Primordial black holes -- 8 Quantum cosmology -- 8.1 Minisuperspace models -- 8.2 Introduction of inhomogeneities -- 8.3 Boundary conditions -- 8.4 Loop quantum cosmology -- 8.5 On singularity avoidance -- 9 String theory -- 9.1 General introduction
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9.2 Quantum-gravitational aspects9.3 String field theory -- 10 Phenomenology, decoherence, and the arrow of time -- 10.1 Quantum-gravity phenomenology -- 10.2 Decoherence and the quantum universe -- 10.3 Arrow of time -- 10.4 Reflections and outlook -- References -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- Z
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SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
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The search for a quantum theory of the gravitational field is one of the great open problems in theoretical physics. This book presents a self-contained discussion of the concepts, methods and applications that can be expected in such a theory, unifying quantum theory with Einstein's theory of general relativity.