Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity

This thesis is broadly split into two parts. In the first part, simple state sum models for minimally coupled fermion and scalar fields are constructed on a 1-manifold. The models are independent of the triangulation and give the same result as the continuum partition functions evaluated using zeta-...

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Main Author: Kerr, Steven
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 2014
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14094/
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author Kerr, Steven
author_facet Kerr, Steven
author_sort Kerr, Steven
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description This thesis is broadly split into two parts. In the first part, simple state sum models for minimally coupled fermion and scalar fields are constructed on a 1-manifold. The models are independent of the triangulation and give the same result as the continuum partition functions evaluated using zeta-function regularisation. Some implications for more physical models are discussed. In the second part, the gauge gravity action is written using a particularly simple matrix technique. The coupling to scalar, fermion and Yang-Mills fields is reviewed, with some small additions. A sum over histories quantisation of the gauge gravity theory in 2+1 dimensions is then carried out for a particular class of triangulations of the three-sphere. The preliminary stage of the Hamiltonian analysis for the (3+1)-dimensional gauge gravity theory is undertaken.
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format Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
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institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
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language English
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publishDate 2014
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spelling nottingham-140942025-02-28T11:28:48Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14094/ Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity Kerr, Steven This thesis is broadly split into two parts. In the first part, simple state sum models for minimally coupled fermion and scalar fields are constructed on a 1-manifold. The models are independent of the triangulation and give the same result as the continuum partition functions evaluated using zeta-function regularisation. Some implications for more physical models are discussed. In the second part, the gauge gravity action is written using a particularly simple matrix technique. The coupling to scalar, fermion and Yang-Mills fields is reviewed, with some small additions. A sum over histories quantisation of the gauge gravity theory in 2+1 dimensions is then carried out for a particular class of triangulations of the three-sphere. The preliminary stage of the Hamiltonian analysis for the (3+1)-dimensional gauge gravity theory is undertaken. 2014-07-10 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14094/1/Thesis5.pdf Kerr, Steven (2014) Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
spellingShingle Kerr, Steven
Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity
title Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity
title_full Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity
title_fullStr Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity
title_full_unstemmed Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity
title_short Topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity
title_sort topological quantum field theory and quantum gravity
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/14094/