Geometry, pregeometry and beyond

DOI10.1016/J.SHPSB.2005.01.002MaRDI QIDQ640220zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Diego Meschini, Markku Lehto, Johanna Piilonen

Publication date 17 October 2011

Published in Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. Part B. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0411053

zbMATH Keywords

beyond geometryempty spacetimegeometry in physicsgeometry in pregeometry

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Physics (00A79) Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to relativity and gravitational theory (83-01)

Abstract: This article explores the overall geometric manner in which human beings make sense of the world around them by means of their physical theories; in particular, in what are nowadays called pregeometric pictures of Nature. In these, the pseudo-Riemannian manifold of general relativity is considered a flawed description of spacetime and it is attempted to replace it by theoretical constructs of a different character, ontologically prior to it. However, despite its claims to the contrary, pregeometry is found to surreptitiously and unavoidably fall prey to the very mode of description it endeavours to evade, as evidenced in its all-pervading geometric understanding of the world. The question remains as to the deeper reasons for this human, geometric predilection--present, as a matter of fact, in all of physics--and as to whether it might need to be superseded in order to achieve the goals that frontier theoretical physics sets itself at the dawn of a new century: a sounder comprehension of the physical meaning of empty spacetime.

Recommendations

• The primacy of geometry
• Pregeometric modelling of the spacetime phenomenology.
• An attempt at pregeometry. Gravity with composite metric.
• Geometry and physics today
• Effective spacetime geometry

Cites work

• (Quantum) spacetime as a statistical geometry of fuzzy lumps and the connection with random metric spaces
• Conceptions of space-time: problems and possible solutions
• Factorization and entanglement in quantum systems
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4065006 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1748593 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3240355 (Why is no real title available?)
• Lectures on Quantum Theory
• Pregeometric modelling of the spacetime phenomenology.
• Relativistic Theory of Discrete Momentum Space and Discrete Space-Time
• Space as a bucket of dust
• Spacetime and causal sets
• Toward an axiomatic pregeometry of space-time

Cited in

(10)

• Advances in geometry
• Pregeometric modelling of the spacetime phenomenology.
• On the dynamics between gravity and entanglement
• Planck-scale physics: Facts and beliefs
• The primacy of geometry
• Geometry and the quest for theoretical generality
• Geometric objects and perspectivalism
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2190887 (Why is no real title available?)
• Quantum gravity through geometric algebra
• Pregeometric spaces from Wolfram model rewriting systems as homotopy types

This page was built for publication: Geometry, pregeometry and beyond

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q640220)