Gambini, Rodolfo creator author. Pullin, Jorge author. text enk 2022 monographic eng 1 online resource (xvi, 321 pages) : digital, PDF file(s). This volume provides a self-contained introduction to applications of loop representations, and the related topic of knot theory, in particle physics and quantum gravity. These topics are of considerable interest because they provide a unified arena for the study of the gauge invariant quantization of Yang-Mills theories and gravity, and suggest a promising approach to the eventual unification of the four fundamental forces. The book begins with a detailed review of loop representation theory and then describes loop representations in Maxwell theory, Yang-Mills theories as well as lattice techniques. Applications in quantum gravity are then discussed, with the following chapters considering knot theories, braid theories and extended loop representations in quantum gravity. A final chapter assesses the current status of the theory and points out possible directions for future research. First published in 1996, this title has been reissued as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core. Rodolfo Gambini, Jorge Pullin. Reissued as Open Access in 2022. Originally published in 2001. Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 10 Nov 2022). Open Access. Unrestricted online access star Quantum gravity Mathematics Loops (Group theory) Knot theory Gauge fields (Physics) Quantum field theory QC178 .G36 2022 530.1/43 9781009290203 (ebook) https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009290203 https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009290203 Open Access. UkCbUP 220412 20250826121401.0 CR9781009290203 eng