Approaches to Fundamental Physics

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XI

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2. Introduction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

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   2. Introduction – The Many-Fold Way of Contemporary High Energy Theoretical Physics

      • E. Seiler, I.-O. Stamatescu

      Pages 3-18

3. Elementary Particle Theory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 19-19

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   2. The Standard Model of Particle Physics

      • H. G. Dosch

      Pages 21-50

   3. Beyond the Standard Model

      • M. G. Schmidt

      Pages 51-57

4. Quantum Field Theory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 59-59

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   2. Quantum Field Theory: Where We Are

      • K. Fredenhagen, K.-H. Rehren, E. Seiler

      Pages 61-87

5. General Relativity Theory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 89-89

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   2. General Relativity

      • J. Ehlers

      Pages 91-104

   3. Remarks on the Notions of General Covariance and Background Independence

      • D. Giulini

      Pages 105-120

6. Quantum Gravity

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 121-121

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   2. Why Quantum Gravity?

      • C. Kiefer

      Pages 123-130

   3. The Canonical Approach to Quantum Gravity: General Ideas and Geometrodynamics

      • D. Giulini, C. Kiefer

      Pages 131-150

   4. Loop and Spin Foam Quantum Gravity: A Brief Guide for Beginners

      • H. Nicolai, K. Peeters

      Pages 151-184

   5. Loop Quantum Gravity: An Inside View

      • T. Thiemann

      Pages 185-263

   6. Quantum Einstein Gravity: Towards an Asymptotically Safe Field Theory of Gravity

      • O. Lauscher, M. Reuter

      Pages 265-285

7. String Theory

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 286-286

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   2. String Theory: An Overview

      • J. Louis, T. Mohaupt, S. Theisen

      Pages 289-323

8. Cosmology

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 325-325

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This book represents in the ?rst place the desire of the authors of the various contributions to enter a discussion about the research landscape of prese- day fundamental theoretical physics. It documents their attempt, out of their highly specialized scienti?c positions, to ?nd a way of communicating about methods, achievements, and promises of the di?erent approacheswhich shape the development of this ?eld. It is therefore also an attempt to bring out the connections between these approaches, and present them not as disjoint ventures but rather as facets of a common quest for understanding. Whether in competition to each other or in collaboration, the ‘many-fold ways’ of contemporary physics are characterized by a number of exciting ?ndings (and questions) which appear more and more interrelated. Moreover, in the historical development of science, the steadily arriving new empi- cal information partly supports, partly contradicts the existing theories, and partly brings forth unexpected results forcing a total reorientationupon us. If we are lucky, the beginning of this century may prove to be as grand as that of the last one. Itisnotaneasytaskinasituationsomuchinmovementandinwhich variousapproachesstriveforcompletion,topromoteaconstructiveinteraction between these and to achieve a level of mutual understanding on which such an interaction can be fruitful. Nearly all of the authors contributing to this book have been participating in a working group dedicated exactly to this task; this group met in many sessions over several years. This book is to a large extent the result of these discussions.

• Albert Einstein
• cosmology
• elementary particle
• energy
• field theory
• general relativity
• particle physics
• physics
• quantum field theory
• quantum gravity
• relativity
• spin
• string theory
• theoretical physics
• theory of relativity

From the reviews:

"This book is a summary of the latest developments and ideas on the problem of Quantum Gravity. … The author gives an extensive and extremely clear description of the experimental cosmological results. … nicely describes the limitations those experimental results impose on the creativity of the theoretical physicists. … if you want to learn where currently stand the boundaries of knowledge on the quantification of the gravitational field, and if you are not easily afraid of technicalities, this is the book you want to read." (Christophe Laforge, Belgian Physical Society Magazine, Issue 2, June, 2009)

• Forschungsstätte der Evangelischen Studiengemeinschaft (FESt), Schmeilweg 5, Germany

  Ion-Olimpiu Stamatescu

• Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universitä Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, Germany

  Ion-Olimpiu Stamatescu

• Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, Werner-Heisenberg-Institut, 80805 München, Germany

  Erhard Seiler

Policies and ethics