Gravitation and Gauge Symmetries

Gravitation and Gauge Symmetries sheds light on the connection between the intrinsic structure of gravity and the principle of gauge invariance. The first part of the book gives a systematic account of the structure of gravity as a theory based on spacetime gauge symmetries, discussing basic properties of space, time, and gravity; conformal symmetries; the constrained Hamiltonian of Poincar gauge theory; gravitational energy; and conserved quantities. The second part explores the most promising attempts to build a unified field theory containing gravity. Coverage includes nonlinear field theory, supersymmetry, supergravity, Kaluza-Klein theory, and string theory.