Background Independence in Classical and Quantum Gravity

Abstract

Abstract ‘Background independence’ is sometimes claimed to be the defining characteristic of general relativity, and an essential feature of any candidate quantum extension. This book appraises numerous definitions of background independence, before assessing whether various spacetime theories—both classical and quantum—manifest this quality. The book’s aims are threefold: (i) to clarify the best possible understanding of background independence; (ii) to assess the extent to which, at the level of classical spacetime theories, background independence is characteristic of general relativity alone; and (iii) to assess whether this quality is in fact manifest in some of our best candidate quantum gravity theories.

Topics & Concepts