Absolute spacetime: The twentieth century ether
From MaRDI portal
Abstract: All gauge theories need ``something fixed even as ``something changes. Underlying the implementation of these ideas all major physical theories make indispensable use of an elaborately designed spacetime model as the ``something fixed, i.e., absolute. This model must provide at least the following sequence of structures: point set, topological space, smooth manifold, geometric manifold, base for various bundles. The ``fine structure of spacetime inherent in this sequence is of course empirically unobservable directly, certainly when quantum mechanics is taken into account. This issue is at the basis of the difficulties in quantizing general relativity and has been approached in many different ways. Here we review an approach taking into account the non-Boolean properties of quantum logic when forming a spacetime model. Finally, we recall how the fundamental gauge of diffeomorphisms (the issue of general covariance vs coordinate conditions) raised deep conceptual problems for Einstein in his early development of general relativity. This is clearly illustrated in the notorious ``hole argument. This scenario, which does not seem to be widely known to practicing relativists, is nevertheless still interesting in terms of its impact for fundamental gauge issues.
Recommendations
- Explaining Leibniz equivalence as difference of non-inertial appearances: dis-solution of the hole argument and physical individuation of point-events
- Quantum gravity meets structuralism: interweaving relations in the foundations of physics
- The hole argument and some physical and philosophical implications
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2065680
- A model for spacetime: the role of interpretation in some Grothendieck topoi
Cites work
- Einstein and the history of general relativity. Based on the proceedings of the 1986 Osgood Hill Conference held in North Andover, MA, USA, May 8-11, 1986
- Empirical topology: Topologies from partially ordered sets
- Exotic smoothness and physics
- Fibre bundles associated with space-time
- General relativity with spin and torsion: Foundations and prospects
- Generation of source terms in general relativity by differential structures
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4056511 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 671685 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 815075 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3066786 (Why is no real title available?)
- On the dimensionality of space–time
- Rigorous model of classical spacetime foam
- Topology at the Planck length
Cited in
(6)- Einstein-Weyl gravity from a topological \(\mathrm {SL}(5,\mathbb R)\) gauge invariant action
- How to include fermions into general relativity by exotic smoothness
- Symmetry breaking in topological quantum gravity
- Beneath gauge
- Spacetime deformation-induced inertia effects
- Absolute objects and counterexamples: Jones-geroch dust, torretti constant curvature, tetrad-spinor, and scalar density
This page was built for publication: Absolute spacetime: The twentieth century ether
Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q1807389)
