Quantum Gravitation. The Feynman Path Integral Approach (Springer, 2009) - H.W. Hamber.pdf

Quantum Gravitation
Herbert W. Hamber
Quantum Gravitation
The Feynman Path Integral Approach
123
Prof. Dr. Herbert W. Hamber
University of California, Irvine
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Frederick Reines Hall
Irvine, CA 92697, USA
ISBN: 978-3-540-85292-6 e-ISBN: 978-3-540-85293-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2008936266
c Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009
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To Franca, Jane and Lawrence
Preface
Almost a century has gone by since the discovery of general relativity and quantum
mechanics, yet the goal of finding a consistent theory of quantum gravity he-
less remains elusive. After the two major triumphs of modern quantum field theory,
quantum electrodynamics and the quantization of non-abelian gauge theories (in-
cluding quantum chromodynamics and the electro-weak theory) the early seventies
provided high hopes that a quantum treatment of general relativity might be around
the corner. However, to the dismay of many, the results of t’ Hooft and Veltman con-
clusively established that quantum gravity is not perturbat