Mathematical Problems of Quantum Gravity

Program Organizers:	P.C. Aichelburg (University of Vienna), E-Mail: pcaich@Pap.UniVie.AC.AT
	A. Ashtekar (Pennsylvania State University), current E-Mail: Abhay.Ashtekar@esi.ac.at

Time: July 1 - August 31, 1996

During the months of July and August 1996, ESI will host a closely knit Workshop on Mathematical Problems of Quantum Gravity. The Workshop will bring to ESI approximately 25 scientists from Eastern and Western Europe and North and South America. During the two month period, the Workshop will host two seminar series which will be open to all interested physicists and mathematicians. The first will feature seminars on topics of wide interest while the second will feature series of 2 or 3 in-depth lectures on selected themes.

Themes pursued for new research at the workshop will include the following:

• Quantum nature of geometry; especially properties of geometric operators including their spectra, possible relation to non-commutative geometry.
• Non-perturbative regularization of the quantum Einstein equation; especially of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation, the issue of anomalies, possibilities of superselected sectors.
• Black-hole thermodynamics; especially insights in to the Hawking effect from full quantum gravity and statistical origin of the entropy.
• Exactly soluble models in quantum general relativity and supergravity; especially the light they shed on conceptual issues of quantum gravity, status of quantum cosmology.
• Implications of quantum gravity to other interactions; especially to the ultra-violet problem of field theories, weave states, quantum fields on weaves.
• String theory; especially applications to black-hole thermodynamics and strings on weaves for matter coupling.

Current and expected visitors:	A. Ashtekar	- 15.08.96
	J. Baez	- 31.07.96
	M. Blau	- 14.07.96
	R. Gambini	- 22.07.96
	K. Krasnov	- 6.08.96
	R. Loll	- 31.07.96
	M. Reisenberger	- 31.08.96
	C. Rovelli	- 07.08.96
	T. Thiemann	- 18.08.96
	J. Lewandowski	05.07.96 - 05.09.96
	D. Marolf	09.07.96 - 07.08.96
	J. Pullin	09.07.96 - 25.07.96
	T. Jacobson	14.07.96 - 03.08.96
	J. Mourao	14.07.96 - 25.08.96
	J. Halliwell	21.07.96 - 10.08.96
	A. Barvinsky	22.07.96 - 31.08.96
	T. Strobl	22.07.96 - 16.08.96
	K. Meissner	01.08.96 - 15.08.96
	H. Nicolai	03.08.96 - 17.08.96
	H. Matschull	05.08.96 - 31.08.96
	R. Myers	08.08.96 - 20.08.96
	D. Giulini	11.08.96 - 30.08.96