| Are We at the Dawn of Quantum-Gravity Phenomenology? | p. 1 |
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| First the Conclusions: What Has This Phenomenology Achieved? | p. 3 |
| Addendum to Conclusions: Any Hints to Theorists f rom Experiments? | p. 6 |
| Interf erometry and Fuzzy Space-Time | p. 8 |
| Gamma-Ray Bursts and In-vacuo Dispersion | p. 15 |
| Other Quantum-Gravity Experiments | p. 20 |
| Classical-Space-Time-Induced Quantum Phases in Matter Interf erometry | p. 24 |
| Estimates ofSpace-Time Fuzziness rom Measurability Bounds | p. 25 |
| Relations with Other Quantum Gravity Approaches | p. 36 |
| Quantum Gravity, No Strings Attached | p. 39 |
| Conservative Motivation and Other Closing Remarks | p. 44 |
| Classical and Quantum Physics of Isolated Horizons: A Brief Overview | p. 50 |
| Motivation | p. 50 |
| Key Issues | p. 52 |
| Summary | p. 55 |
| Discussion | p. 65 |
| Old and New Processes of Vorton Formation | p. 71 |
| Anti-de Sitter Supersymmetry | p. 79 |
| Introduction | p. 79 |
| Supersymmetry and Anti-de Sitter Space | p. 80 |
| Anti-de Sitter Supersymmetry and Masslike Terms | p. 83 |
| The Quadratic Casimir Operator | p. 85 |
| Unitary Representations of the Anti-de Sitter Algebra | p. 87 |
| The Oscillator Construction | p. 92 |
| The Superalgebra OSp(1 4) | p. 95 |
| Conclusions | p. 98 |
| References | p. 99 |
| Combinatorial Dynamics and Time in Quantum Gravity | p. 101 |
| Introduction | p. 101 |
| Combinatorial Descriptions of Quantum Spacetime | p. 104 |
| The Problem ofthe Classical Limit and its Relationship to Critical Phenomena | p. 108 |
| Is There Quantum Directed Percolation? | p. 111 |
| Discrete Superspace and its Structure | p. 112 |
| Some Simple Models | p. 114 |
| The Classical Limit of the Frozen Models | p. 115 |
| Dynamics Including the Parameters | p. 116 |
| A New Approach to the Problem of Time | p. 117 |
| Non-commutative Extensions of Classical Theories in Physics | p. 130 |
| Def ormations of Space-Time and Phase Space Geometries | p. 130 |
| Why the Coordinates Should not Commute at Planck's Scale | p. 133 |
| Non-commutative Differential Geometry | p. 134 |
| Non-commutative Analog of Kaluza-Klein and Gauge Theories | p. 137 |
| Minkowskian Space-Time as a Commutative Limit | p. 142 |
| Quantum Spaces and Quantum Groups | p. 149 |
| Conclusion | p. 155 |
| References | p. 155 |
| Conceptual Issues in Quantum Cosmology | p. 158 |
| Introduction | p. 158 |
| Lessons f rom Quantum Theory | p. 159 |
| Quantum Cosmology | p. 167 |
| Emergence of a Classical World | p. 176 |
| Acknowledgements | p. 184 |
| References | p. 185 |
| Single-Exterior Black Holes | p. 188 |
| Introduction | p. 188 |
| Kruskal Manifold and the MP3 Geon | p. 189 |
| Vacua on Kruskal and on the RP3 Geon | p. 192 |
| Entropy ofthe RP3 Geon? | p. 194 |
| AdS3, the Spinless Nonextremal BTZ Hole, and the RP2 Geon | p. 195 |
| Vacua on the Conformal Boundaries | p. 198 |
| Holography and String Theory | p. 200 |
| Concluding Remarks | p. 201 |
| References | p. 201 |
| Dirac-Bergmann Observables for Tetrad Gravity | p. 203 |
| Meaning of Noncommutative Geometry and the Planck-Scale Quantum Group | p. 227 |
| Introduction | p. 227 |
| The Meaning of Noncommutative Geometry | p. 231 |
| Fourier Theory | p. 242 |
| Bicrossproduct Model of Planck-Scale Physics | p. 251 |
| Def ormed Quantum Enveloping Algebras | p. 260 |
| Noncommutative Differential Geometry and Riemannian Manif olds | p. 268 |
| References | p. 274 |
| Loop Quantum Gravity and the Meaning of Diffeomorphism Invariance | p. 277 |
| Introduction | p. 277 |
| Basic Formalism of Loop Quantum Gravity | p. 281 |
| Quantization of the Area | p. 300 |
| The Physical Contents ofQuantum Gravity and the Meaning of Diffeomorphism Invariance | p. 303 |
| Dynamics, True Observables and Spin Foams | p. 311 |
| Open Problems and Future Perspectives | p. 322 |
| Black Holes in String Theory | p. 325 |
| Introduction | p. 325 |
| String Theory and Dualities | p. 329 |
| Brane Solutions | p. 335 |
| Black Holes in String Theory | p. 341 |
| Gravitational waves and massless particle fields | p. 365 |
| Planar Gravitational Waves | p. 365 |
| Einstein-Scalar Waves | p. 368 |
| Einstein-Dirac Waves | p. 370 |
| Einstein-Maxwell Waves | p. 372 |
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