Mozota Frauca, Álvaro (2026) The Limitations of the Notion of ‘Observable’ in Diffeomorphism-Invariant Models. [Preprint]
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Abstract
The application of the notion of 'observable' from gauge theory to diffeomorphism-invariant theories---most relevantly to general relativity---has led to numerous conceptual and technical issues when interpreting classical theories with this symmetry and building quantum versions of them. In this article I distinguish between two senses of gauge transformation: local and global, and I argue that the notion of observable appears more naturally in the local sense of gauge transformation. Then, I argue that diffeomorphism invariance can be understood as a gauge symmetry only from a global point of view, and hence, that the concept of observable applies only in a restricted manner. This has the consequence that some popular claims in the literature, such as the claim that the physical content of diffeomorphism-invariant models is encoded in correlations, are unfounded.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Alvaro Mozota Frauca | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 17 Jun 2026 07:37 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 17 Jun 2026 07:37 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 30216 | ||||||
| Official URL: | https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/7419... | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | https://doi.org/10.1086/741910 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Gravity Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances |
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| Date: | 2026 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/30216 |
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