General Covariance and the "Problem of Time" in a Discrete Cosmology

TL;DR

This paper discusses how to identify observables in quantum gravity, using a classical stochastic causal set model, with implications for the quantum case.

Contribution

It proposes a method to determine observables in quantum gravity models based on classical stochastic causal sets, potentially applicable to quantum theories.

Findings

A framework for defining observables in causal set models.

Potential extension of the method to quantum gravity.

Insights into the 'problem of time' in discrete cosmology.

Abstract

Identifying an appropriate set of ``observables'' is a nontrivial task for most approaches to quantum gravity. We describe how it may be accomplished in the context of a recently proposed family of stochastic (but classical) dynamical laws for causal sets. The underlying idea should work equally well in the quantum case.