Shape dynamics. An introduction
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Publication:2902601
DOI10.1007/978-3-0348-0043-3_13zbMATH Open1246.70015arXiv1105.0183OpenAlexW1502244715MaRDI QIDQ2902601FDOQ2902601
Authors: Julian Barbour 
Publication date: 21 August 2012
Published in: Quantum Field Theory and Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)
Abstract: Shape dynamics is a completely background-independent universal framework of dynamical theories from which all absolute elements have been eliminated. For particles, only the variables that describe the shapes of the instantaneous particle configurations are dynamical. In the case of Riemannian three-geometries, the only dynamical variables are the parts of the metric that determine angles. The local scale factor plays no role. This leads to a shape-dynamic theory of gravity in which the four-dimensional diffeomorphism invariance of general relativity is replaced by three-dimensional diffeomorphism invariance and three-dimensional conformal invariance. Despite this difference of symmetry groups, it is remarkable that the predictions of the two theories -- shape dynamics and general relativity -- agree on spacetime foliations by hypersurfaces of constant mean extrinsic curvature. However, the two theories are distinct, with shape dynamics having a much more restrictive set of solutions. There are indications that the symmetry group of shape dynamics makes it more amenable to quantization and thus to the creation of quantum gravity. This introduction presents in simple terms the arguments for shape dynamics, its implementation techniques, and a survey of existing results.
Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1105.0183
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