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Can someone comment on https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.00626 ?
It looks quite technical, but potentially very important.
It looks quite technical, but potentially very important.
Perturbative quantum gravity is a theoretical framework that attempts to combine the principles of quantum mechanics and general relativity in order to describe the behavior of gravity at a microscopic level. It involves breaking down the complex equations of general relativity into simpler, solvable equations that can be used to calculate physical quantities in a quantum theory of gravity.
Quantum gravity is important because it aims to unify two of the most successful theories in physics - quantum mechanics and general relativity. By combining these theories, we hope to gain a better understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe and potentially resolve some of the inconsistencies between the two theories, such as the incompatibility of gravity with the principles of quantum mechanics.
Perturbative quantum gravity differs from other theories of quantum gravity, such as loop quantum gravity or string theory, in its approach to combining general relativity and quantum mechanics. While other theories focus on a complete overhaul of the fundamental principles of these theories, perturbative quantum gravity attempts to modify and build upon the existing equations of general relativity in a more incremental manner.
One of the main challenges in developing a theory of perturbative quantum gravity is the difficulty in reconciling the principles of quantum mechanics and general relativity. These two theories have very different mathematical frameworks and it is not yet clear how to merge them in a consistent way. Additionally, perturbative quantum gravity must also address issues such as renormalization and unitarity, which arise when trying to quantize gravity.
Currently, there are no direct experimental tests for perturbative quantum gravity. This is due to the fact that the energy scales at which quantum gravity effects become important are far beyond our current technological capabilities. However, there are ongoing experiments, such as those at the Large Hadron Collider, that may provide indirect evidence for perturbative quantum gravity by testing predictions of other theories that attempt to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity.