Discrete Quantum Gravity

Abstract

We discuss the causal set approach to discrete quantum gravity. We begin by describing a classical sequential growth process in which the universe grows one element at a time in discrete steps. At each step the process has the form of a causal set and the "completed" universe is given by a path through a discretely growing chain of causal sets. We then introduce a method for quantizing this classical formalism to obtain a quantum sequential growth process which may lead to a viable model for a discrete quantum gravity. We also give a method for quantizing random variables in the classical process to obtain observables in the corresponding quantum process. The paper closes by showing that a discrete isometric process can be employed to construct a quantum sequential growth process.