Algebras and their Covariant representations in quantum gravity

Abstract

We study a physically motivated representation of an algebra of operators in gravitational and non gravitational theories called the covariant representation of an algebra. This is a representation where the symmetries of the operator algebra are implemented unitarily on the Hilbert space. We emphasize the very close similarity of this representation to the crossed product of an algebra. In fact, as an example of (and sometimes identified with) a covariance algebra, the crossed product of an algebra is in one to one correspondence with the covariant representation of the algebra. This will in turn illuminate physically what the crossed product algebra is in the context of quantum gravity.