Cambridge U. Press: Carlo Rovelli's Quantum Gravity Book

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around Carlo Rovelli's book "Quantum Gravity," published by Cambridge University Press, and its implications for the field of quantum gravity, particularly loop quantum gravity (LQG). Participants explore the book's reception, its significance in the context of ongoing research, and related events in the field.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that Rovelli's book is now available for order and compare pricing between Cambridge and Amazon, suggesting that Amazon may offer a better deal despite longer shipping times.
  • Alain Connes' positive remarks about the book are shared, emphasizing its role in addressing the unresolved issues in quantum gravity without dogmatism, although some participants critique his use of the term "unvaluable."
  • There is a reference to the year 2004 being significant for LQG, with an increase in research output and major publications from key figures in the field, including Rovelli.
  • Participants mention upcoming conferences and symposiums that will feature discussions on both loop quantum gravity and string theory, indicating a blend of approaches in current research.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the quality of Connes' remarks, with some agreeing with the critique of his terminology while others find his overall assessment misleading. The discussion about the significance of Rovelli's book and the state of quantum gravity research reflects a mix of supportive and critical viewpoints, indicating no clear consensus.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes references to various publications and events, but lacks detailed analysis of the specific content of Rovelli's book or the technical aspects of quantum gravity theories. The significance of the year 2004 in the context of LQG is noted, but the implications of this growth in research output remain open to interpretation.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in the latest developments in quantum gravity, particularly those studying or researching loop quantum gravity and related theoretical frameworks, may find this discussion relevant.

marcus
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Here is the Cambridge U. Press catalog page for
Rovelli's new book Quantum Gravity

http://titles.cambridge.org/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521837332

It now says the book is "in stock" and says that it can be ordered
from publisher for Pounds 45.00
plus Pounds 3.50 to ship anywhere in world

US Amazon does not yet have the book in stock.
They have already sold a bunch, advance order, and they are
charging $ 70, shipping free within US. So even tho it may
take a bit longer it may be a better deal to get it from
Amazon.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
herewith the amazon link


here's some favorable comment by Alain Connes, from the CUP catalog:

"In spite of its sociological success string theory is still far from a solution of the problem of quantum gravity which should be considered as wide open. The book of Carlo Rovelli provides the basis, both at the technical and the conceptual level, for research in this fundamental problem of physics. The basic issues are clearly and deeply analyzed without any dogmatic stand and with great freedom of thoughts resulting in an unvaluable opportunity to learn and think for both mathematicians and physicists."
---Alain Connes is currently a Professor at the Collège de France, I.H.E.S. and Vanderbilt University

Connes should have said "inestimable" instead of "unvaluable"----the catalog editor at Cambridge should have caught that.
 
marcus said:
Connes should have said "inestimable" instead of "unvaluable"

Funny, that's the only part of Connes otherwise misleading blurb I agree with.
 
jeff said:
Funny, that's the only part of Connes otherwise misleading blurb I agree with.

Mock on, mock on, Voltaire, Rousseau:
Mock on, mock on: tis all in vain!
You throw the sand against the wind,
And the wind blows it back again.

And every sand becomes a gem
Reflected in the beams divine;
Blown back they blind the mocking eye,
But still in Israel's path they shine.

The atoms of Democritus
And Newton's particles of light
Are sands upon the Red Sea shore,
Where Israel's tents do shine so bright.

---William Blake
 
how are things going at U. Toronto?

did you get Amanda Peet as lecturer in the string class?
 
Quantum Gravity coming-of-age

Part of the reason for noticing the publication of Rovelli's book is that it helps to signal 2004 as a coming-of-age year for LQG

There has been an upsurge in research output (I will fetch the numbers)
plus there's the publication of major pieces of writing by the three founders of LQG (Ashtekar, Smolin, Rovelli) which help to define the field

Abhay Ashtekar and Jerzy Lewandowski Background Independent Quantum Gravity: a Status Report
http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0404018

Lee Smolin An Invitation to Loop Quantum Gravity
http://arxiv.org/hep-th/0408048

Carlo Rovelli Quantum Gravity
Cambridge
-----
plus 2004 has seen an especially large number of QG conferences
Pune(India), Mexico City, Karpacz, Marseille, Waterloo
-----
As for the growth in research output, it is easiest to see from the arxiv postings:
Year 1994:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/1994/0/1
Year 1995:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/1995/0/1
Year 1996:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/1996/0/1
Year 1997:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/1997/0/1
Year 1998:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/1998/0/1
Year 1999:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/1999/0/1
Year 2000:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/2000/0/1
Year 2001:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/2001/0/1
Year 2002:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/2002/0/1
Year 2003:
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/2003/0/1
Last twelve months (e.g. 25 October 2003 to 25 October 2004):
http://arXiv.org/find/nucl-ex,astro...m+AND+OR+triply+doubly+special/0/1/0/past/0/1

Code: 
1994    61    
1995    83    
1996    72
1997    70
1998    67
1999    76
2000    89
2001    98
2002   121
2003   139
LTM    171
------
 
Last edited by a moderator:
as long as I'm on current events and signals that QG is coming of age,
Loop and String are interspersed in this 6-day symposium at Playa del Carmen in November.

----LQG talks on the program---

Sixth Mexican School on Gravitation and Mathematical Physics
Approaches to Quantum Gravity
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, November 21-27, 2004

Monday 9:00 - 10:00 Course I, Quantum Geometry (1/3): Ashtekar

Tuesday 10:00 - 11:00 Course I, Quantum Geometry (2/3): Ashtekar
Tuesday 13:00 - 13:30 Spacetime Granularity and Lorentz Invariance: Sudarsky

Wednesday 13:00 - 13:30 Semiclassical Aspects and Phenomenology of Loop Quantum Gravity: Morales

Thursday 10:00 - 11:00 Plenary Talk 4, Black Holes and Quantum Gravity: Corichi
Thursday 11:30 - 12:30 Course VI, Loop Quantum Gravity and Spinfoams (1/3): Rovelli

Friday 10:00 - 11:00 Course I, Quantum Geometry (3/3): Ashtekar
Friday 11:30 - 12:30 Course VI, Loop Quantum Gravity and Spinfoams (2/3): Rovelli
Friday 17:00 - 18:00 Plenary talk 5, Loops and Strings: Smolin

Saturday 9:00 - 10:00 Course VI, Loop Quantum Gravity and Spinfoams (3/3): Rovelli
Saturday 10:00 - 11:00 Plenary talk 6, Selected Topics on Spin Foams: Perez
Saturday 12:30 - 13:30 Plenary talk 8, Loop Quantum Cosmology: Bojowald

---end exerpts---
Here's the link to the full program:
http://www.nuclecu.unam.mx/~gravit/EscuelaVI/english.html

the program also has other well-known people like John Barrow and Robert Wald---and includes string theorists such as Amanda Peet, Andrei Linde, and Renata Kallosh.
Renata Kallosh will be lecturing about the huge number of String Vacuum States (Kallosh and Linde were among the co-authors of the famous paper by Kachru et al)
So there are plenty string stars going to Playa del Carmen. Point is there is also Ashtekar, Rovelli, Smolin, Bojowald, Perez, Corichi...

thanks to nonunitary for bringing us at PF the news about this conference
and for providing the link
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Awesome! I didn't realize this book was out. It'll be on my Christmas list.

Paden Roder
 
Rovelli's book is also available online as a .pdf draft on his homepage at CPT. But the version is not the fully final version published by CUP. Nevertheless, it is very worth having a look at. The pdf link is:

http://www.cpt.univ-mrs.fr/~rovelli/book.pdf

Nice studying =)
 

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