Symmetry, Integrability and Geometry: Methods and Applications (SIGMA)

SIGMA 2 (2006), 086, 5 pages      hep-th/0610194      https://doi.org/10.3842/SIGMA.2006.086
Contribution to the Proceedings of the O'Raifeartaigh Symposium

Quantum Gravity as a Broken Symmetry Phase of a BF Theory

Aleksandar Miković a, b
a) Department of Mathematics, Lusofona University, Av. Do Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
b) Mathematical Physics Group, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal

Received October 02, 2006, in final form November 21, 2006; Published online December 07, 2006

Abstract
We explain how General Relativity with a cosmological constant arises as a broken symmetry phase of a BF theory. In particular we show how to treat de Sitter and anti-de Sitter cases simultaneously. This is then used to formulate a quantisation of General Relativity through a spin foam perturbation theory. We then briefly discuss how to calculate the effective action in this quantization procedure.

Key words: de Sitter; anti-de Sitter; spin foams.

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