Lecture abstract

Time:   25. March 2015
Place:   Instituto Superior Tecnico
Title:   Introduction to Loop Quantum Gravity (part 3)
Abstract:
This series of lectures is intended to give an elementary introduction to the topic of the canonical quantization of the gravitational field, in the context of the Loop Quantum Gravity approach.
In the third lecture we will finish the construction of the spin-knot space and introduce the loop transform. Then we move on to the analysis of geometric observables (distance, area and volume) and the structure of the scalar constraint. Finally, matter coupling will be introduced. If time permits, we will also give a short review of two applications of the formalism: calculation of the black hole entropy, and the Big Bounce model of Loop Quantum Cosmology.