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Gravity and Gauge Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2022

Steven Weinstein
Steven Weinstein*
Affiliation:
Northwestern University
*
†Department of Philosophy, 1879 Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544-1006.
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Abstract

Gauge theories are theories that are invariant under a characteristic group of “gauge” transformations. General relativity is invariant under transformations of the diffeomorphism group. This has prompted many philosophers and physicists to treat general relativity as a gauge theory, and diffeomorphisms as gauge transformations. I argue that this approach is misguided.

Type
Foundations of Statistical Physics, Spacetime Theories, and Quantum Field Theory
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 66 , Issue S3: Supplement. Proceedings of the 1998 Biennial Meetings of the Philosophy of Science Association. Part I: Contributed Papers Sep., 1999 , 1999 , pp. S146 - S155
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

Thanks to Arthur Fine, Chris Isham, and Bob Wald for helpful discussions.

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