Wave function of the Universe, path integrals and gauge invariance

TL;DR

This paper addresses fundamental issues in quantum gravity, including gauge invariance, the wave function of the Universe, and the mathematical consistency of the Wheeler-DeWitt theory, proposing new insights into their interrelations.

Contribution

It provides a rigorous proof of gauge invariance in Wheeler-DeWitt quantum geometrodynamics and explores the path integral formulation and physical state definitions in quantum gravity.

Findings

Proved gauge invariance of the Wheeler-DeWitt theory

Defined the wave function of the Universe via path integrals

Analyzed the equivalence of quantization schemes

Abstract

The paper is devoted to some of the difficulties which the Wheeler - DeWitt quantum geometrodynamics encountered, in particular, a strong mathematical proof that this theory is gauge-invariant, the definition of the wave function of the Universe through a path integral and the illegality of asymptotic boundary conditions in quantum gravity, the derivation of the Wheeler - DeWitt equation from the path integral and the equivalence of the Dirac quantization scheme with other approaches, the problem of definition of physical states in quantum gravity, possible realizations of the Everett concept of "relative states". The problems are rarely discussed in the literature. They are related with the guiding idea that quantum theory of gravity must gauge invariant. It will lead to the question if it is possible to achieve this goal in a mathematically consistent way.