Background-independence

DOI10.1007/S10714-011-1210-XMaRDI QIDQ648093zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Gordon Belot

Publication date 22 November 2011

Published in General Relativity and Gravitation (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1106.0920

zbMATH Keywords

general relativitybackground independenceabsolute objects

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantum field theory on curved space or space-time backgrounds (81T20) Einstein's equations (general structure, canonical formalism, Cauchy problems) (83C05) Quantization of the gravitational field (83C45) Geometrodynamics and the holographic principle (83E05)

Abstract: Intuitively speaking, a classical field theory is background-independent if the structure required to make sense of its equations is itself subject to dynamical evolution, rather than being imposed ab initio. The aim of this paper is to provide an explication of this intuitive notion. Background-independence is not a not formal property of theories: the question whether a theory is background-independent depends upon how the theory is interpreted. Under the approach proposed here, a theory is fully background-independent relative to an interpretation if each physical possibility corresponds to a distinct spacetime geometry; and it falls short of full background-independence to the extent that this condition fails.

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Cited in

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