General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology, abstract
gr-qc/0605011

From: Abhay Ashtekar [view email]

Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 21:05:28 GMT (449kb)

Gravity, Geometry and the Quantum

Authors: Abhay Ashtekar

Comments: 16 pages, 2 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the `Einstein Century' Conference, 15-22 July, Paris, edited by J-M Alimi et al (American Institute of Physics)

Report-no: IGPG-06/05-01

After a brief introduction, basic ideas of the quantum Riemannian geometry underlying loop quantum gravity are summarized. To illustrate physical ramifications of quantum geometry, the framework is then applied to homogeneous isotropic cosmology. Quantum geometry effects are shown to replace the big bang by a big bounce. Thus, quantum physics does not stop at the big-bang singularity. Rather there is a pre-big-bang branch joined to the current post-big-bang branch by a `quantum bridge'. Furthermore, thanks to the background independence of loop quantum gravity, evolution is deterministic across the bridge.

http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0605011