Lectures in Quantum Gravity

TL;DR

This collection of lecture notes provides a comprehensive overview of quantum gravity, covering foundational theories, advanced approaches like string theory, and quantum effects in black holes, aimed at advancing understanding in fundamental physics.

Contribution

It offers a coherent, accessible synthesis of diverse quantum gravity topics, connecting foundational and cutting-edge research for graduate students and researchers.

Findings

Perturbative quantum gravity and effective field theory foundations.

Presentation of asymptotically safe gravity and string theory as UV-complete approaches.

Discussion of quantum effects in black hole spacetimes.

Abstract

Formulating a quantum theory of gravity lies at the heart of fundamental theoretical physics. This collection of lecture notes encompasses a selection of topics that were covered in six mini-courses at the Nordita PhD school "Towards Quantum Gravity". The scope was to provide a coherent picture, from its foundation to forefront research, emphasizing connections between different areas. The lectures begin with perturbative quantum gravity and effective field theory. Subsequently, two ultraviolet-complete approaches are presented: asymptotically safe gravity and string theory. Finally, elements of quantum effects in black hole spacetimes are discussed.