Gravity and gauge theory

Philosophy of Science 66 (3):155 (1999)
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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.

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Steve Weinstein
University of Waterloo

Citations of this work

The Implementation, Interpretation, and Justification of Likelihoods in Cosmology.C. D. McCoy - 2018 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 62:19-35.
Quantum gravity.Steven Weinstein - 2008 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Curve it, gauge it, or leave it? Practical underdetermination in gravitational theories.Holger Lyre & Tim Oliver Eynck - 2001 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 34 (2):277-303.
Gravity and Gauge.Nicholas J. Teh - 2016 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 67 (2):497-530.

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References found in this work

What price spacetime substantivalism? The hole story.John Earman & John Norton - 1987 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 38 (4):515-525.
Pre-socratic quantum gravity.Gordon Belot & John Earman - unknown - In Craig Callender & Nicholas Huggett (eds.), Physics meets philosophy at the planck scale. pp. 213--55.
From metaphysics to physics.Gordon Belot & John Earman - 1999 - In Jeremy Butterfield & Constantine Pagonis (eds.), From Physics to Philosophy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 166--86.

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