Quantum Gravity: A Mathematical Physics Perspective

TL;DR

This paper introduces quantum gravity from a mathematical physics perspective, highlighting its structural differences from Minkowskian quantum field theories due to the lack of a fixed background space-time geometry.

Contribution

It provides an overview of quantum gravity tailored for mathematical physicists, emphasizing the conceptual and structural distinctions from traditional quantum field theories.

Findings

Highlights the absence of background geometry in quantum gravity

Differentiates quantum gravity from Minkowskian quantum field theories

Serves as an introductory overview for mathematical physicists

Abstract

This article is based on an invited talk given at the Workshop on Mathematical Physics Towards XXIst Century, held at Beer-Sheva, Israel in 1993. It contains an introduction to quantum gravity for mathematical physicists with an emphasis on the difference between the structure of this theory from more familiar, Minkowskian quantum field theories which arise due to the absence of a background space-time geometry.