Local scale invariance as an alternative to Lorentz invariance

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:10120052,
            doi = {10.48660/10120052},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/10120052},
            author = {Gryb, Sean},
            keywords = {Quantum Foundations},
            language = {en},
            title = {Local scale invariance as an alternative to Lorentz invariance},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2010},
            month = {dec},
            note = {PIRSA:10120052 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

I will present a recent result showing that general relativity admits a dual description in terms of a 3D scale invariant theory. The dual theory was discovered by starting with the basic observation that, fundamentally, all observations can be broken down into local comparisons of spatial configurations. Thus, absolute local spatial size is unobservable. Inspired by this principle of "relativity of size", I will motivate a procedure that allows the refoliation invariance of general relativity to be traded for 3D local scale invariance. This trade does away with "many fingered time" and offers a new possibility for dealing with the many technical and conceptual difficulties associated with the Wheeler-DeWitt equation.