arXiv:gr-qc/0202079gr-qc
A note on the foundation of relativistic mechanics. II: Covariant hamiltonian general relativity
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Abstract
I illustrate a simple hamiltonian formulation of general relativity, derived from the work of Esposito, Gionti and Stornaiolo, which is manifestly 4d generally covariant and is defined over a finite dimensional space. The spacetime coordinates drop out of the formalism, reflecting the fact that they are not related to observability. The formulation can be interpreted in terms of Toller's reference system transformations, and provides a physical interpretation for the spinnetwork to spinnetwork transition amplitudes computable in principle in loop quantum gravity and in the spin foam models.
I haven't read Rovelli's pop-sci book. Could you glance through the table of contents and/or the index and look for, among other things, "thermal time" and "time emerges in a world without time"? I would be astonished if he did not discuss these ideas at length in his book. >…
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As an aside to my earlier direct reply, these are foundations-of-physics issues. Most working physicists don't really care what are in the foundations, to the great annoyance of many philosophers. (Tim Maudlin comes instantly to mind.) But annoyed philosophers don't change the…
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