The structure of causal sets

TL;DR

This paper explores how the causal sets approach to quantum gravity exemplifies the benefits of a structuralist interpretation, clarifying the concept of structure in physical theories and addressing related conceptual issues.

Contribution

It demonstrates how structuralism provides a natural interpretation of causal sets and illustrates the importance of rigorous conceptualization of structure in physical theories.

Findings

Structuralism clarifies the physical meaning of causal sets.

Causal sets serve as a clear example of mathematical conceptualization of structure.

Addresses issues in grounding identity in symmetrical physical structures.

Abstract

More often than not, recently popular structuralist interpretations of physical theories leave the central concept of a structure insufficiently precisified. The incipient causal sets approach to quantum gravity offers a paradigmatic case of a physical theory predestined to be interpreted in structuralist terms. It is shown how employing structuralism lends itself to a natural interpretation of the physical meaning of causal sets theory. Conversely, the conceptually exceptionally clear case of causal sets is used as a foil to illustrate how a mathematically informed rigorous conceptualization of structure serves to identify structures in physical theories. Furthermore, a number of technical issues infesting structuralist interpretations of physical theories such as difficulties with grounding the identity of the places of highly symmetrical physical structures in their relational profile and what may resolve these difficulties can be vividly illustrated with causal sets.