QG2 speakers list, for July conference

[marcus]

The organizers of the QG conference have posted some of the main invited talks already.

Abhay Ashtekar
Quantum cosmology

Ali Chamseddine
Connections between noncommutative geometry, spectral action and quantum gravity

Bernard Kay
The puzzles of decoherence and thermodynamical behaviour

Carlo Rovelli
On the relation between loops and foams

Subir Sarkar
Astroparticle probes of quantum gravity

Harold Steinacker
Dynamical quantum spaces, matrix models and gravity

Here is the webpage
http://www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/r...etry_and_quantum_gravity_conference/speakers/

 

[marcus]

There are now eight talks listed. Martin Reuter is the most recent addition.

Abhay Ashtekar
Quantum cosmology

Ali Chamseddine
Connections between noncommutative geometry, spectral action and quantum gravity

Bernard Kay
The puzzles of decoherence and thermodynamical behaviour

Martin Reuter
Asymptotic Safety: general ideas and recent results

Vincent Rivasseau
Non-commutative renormalisation

Carlo Rovelli
On the relation between loops and foams

Subir Sarkar
Astroparticle probes of quantum gravity

Harold Steinacker
Dynamical quantum spaces, matrix models and gravity

Here is the webpage
http://www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/r...etry_and_quantum_gravity_conference/speakers/

Already non-commutative geometry is represented by two speakers. Maybe it comes under the rubric of the "quantum geometry" half of QG+QG. The inclusion of NCG along with Loop-Foam quantum gravity, will give this conference a new aspect. different from past Loop conferences.

 

[marcus]

Shahn Majid (Noncommutative Geometry) and Laurent Freidel (Spinfoam QG) have been added to the lineup. The organizers made an early start---events are still over 3 months away and they already have an interesting cadre of talks listed, giving a clear idea of the main themes and purpose of the conference.

Abhay Ashtekar
Quantum cosmology

Ali Chamseddine
Connections between noncommutative geometry, spectral action and quantum gravity

Laurent Freidel
The construction and semi-classical limit of spin foam models for 4d gravity

Bernard Kay
The puzzles of decoherence and thermodynamical behaviour

Shahn Majid

Martin Reuter
Asymptotic Safety: general ideas and recent results

Vincent Rivasseau
Non-commutative renormalisation

Carlo Rovelli
On the relation between loops and foams

Subir Sarkar
Astroparticle probes of quantum gravity

Harold Steinacker
Dynamical quantum spaces, matrix models and gravity

Here is the webpage
http://www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/r...etry_and_quantum_gravity_conference/speakers/

============UPDATE TO REPLY to Christine's next post====================
Christine, thanks for posting that bit from Baez's diary! If you want to see Rovelli's "telegraphic report" spelled out in more detail, and have not already seen it, you might like to look at this:

* Carlo Rovelli - Looppy & Foammy: at long last, falling in love
http://cift.fuw.edu.pl/users/kostecki/zakopane08/rovelli.pdf

All the workshop slides are posted here:
http://www.fuw.edu.pl/~kostecki/zakopane08/

 

[ccdantas]

Hi Marcus,

Concerning Rovelli's talk, here is an excerpt from Baez's public diary:

------
I asked Carlo Rovelli if he'll be in Paris this summer. He said no — but he gave me an enticing summary of recent developments in loop quantum gravity:

July and August is a rather unlikely period for me to be in Paris. But I would very much like to have the chance of talking with you, physics and else. Here is a telegraphic report of the latest spinfoam beautiful developments that you are missing and will one day regret:

First, we have found a modification of Barrett-Crane that matches exactly with loop quantum gravity in 4d, including the area spectrum, and including in the Lorentzian. It basically corrects an obvious "quantization mistake" in deriving Barrett-Crane. So, finally the covariant and canonical approach talk directly to one another.

Second, I believe the arguments are piling up pointing to the fact that the "many small chunks" intuition is not the right one for approximating processes near flat space: the large-spin limit is the right approximation. These arguments come from uncertainty relations, from cosmology, from the ADM energy operator, and else.

End of the report.

If things work out as well as he says, especially regarding the all-important second point, I won't regret having stepped aside from this subject... but I may want to jump back in! It was hard quitting quantum gravity. I'm glad I did, so I'll never regret that. But, I won't feel the need to stay out if I get interested in it again.
----

I thought that was a very interesting passage because of the points raised by Rovelli and the possibility of Baez returning to quantum gravity reasearch, if he gets interested again.


Christine