Introduction to Spinfoams: Covariant Dynamics in Loop Quantum GravityConfirmed

by Athanasios Kogios (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)

Monday Apr 20, 2026, 2:00 PM → 2:30 PM America/Toronto

PI/4-400 - Space Room (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)

As a continuation of the canonical formulation of Loop Quantum Gravity, I will present an introduction to its covariant, path‑integral formulation in terms of spinfoams. Starting from the interpretation of spin networks as quantum states of geometry, I will explain how spinfoams arise as histories interpolating between such states and how they define transition amplitudes encoding the dynamics of quantum spacetime. I will outline the conceptual shift from Hamiltonian evolution to a sum‑over‑histories description, emphasizing background independence and the role of boundary data. I will then discuss how gravity can be understood as a constrained BF theory and highlight the role of the simplicity constraints in selecting the gravitational sector. Finally, I will briefly comment on the geometric interpretation of spinfoam amplitudes, the semiclassical limit, and the current status and open issues of the covariant approach.