Teh, Nicholas (2013) Gravity and Gauge. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.
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Abstract
Philosophers of physics and physicists have long been intrigued by the analogies and disanalogies between gravitational theories and (Yang-Mills-type) gauge theories. Indeed, repeated attempts to collapse these disanalogies have made us acutely aware that there are fairly general obstacles to doing so. Nonetheless, there is a special case (viz. that of (2+1) spacetime dimensions) in which gravity is often claimed to be identical to a gauge theory. We subject this claim to philosophical scrutiny in this paper: in particular, we (i) analyze how the standard disanalogies can be overcome in (2+1) dimensions, and (ii) consider whether (i) really licenses the interpretation of (2+1) gravity as a gauge theory. Our conceptual analysis reveals more subtle disanalogies between gravity and gauge, and connects these to interpretive issues in classical and quantum gravity.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Keywords: | gravity, gauge theory, topological quantum field theory, Chern-Simons theory | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances |
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| Depositing User: | Dr Nicholas Teh | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 23 Dec 2013 13:37 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 23 Dec 2013 13:37 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 10151 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | British Journal for the Philosophy of Science | ||||||
| Publisher: | Oxford Journals | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Classical Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory Specific Sciences > Physics > Symmetries/Invariances |
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| Date: | 21 December 2013 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/10151 |
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