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Publications and statistics on General Practice include information on GP earnings and expenses; total money spent on General Practice; workforce and workload; how well GPs perform against the Quality and Outcomes Framework and satisfaction levels of patients in terms of access to GP services.
Annual report summarising antibacterial use in primary care in Scotland.
Provides information about populations registered with GP practices at strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care organisation (PCO) level in five year age bands by gender, for England and Wales.
Annual update of the number of child healthy weight interventions undertaken by NHS boards. This data is used to monitor HEAT Targets.
Detailed analysis from the GP Access Survey for Scotland, NHS Board and GP Practice.
The GP Access Survey was developed to collect information on elements of patient access to GP services and choice of hospital services.
The report presents results of the GP Earnings and Expenses Enquiry. It provides a detailed study of the earnings and expenses in the UK and has been agreed by the Technical Steering Committee.
The GPPS collects information on patient access to and satisfaction with GP with services.
The GPPS collects information on patient access to and satisfaction with GP with services.
National results from the GP survey including questions about people's experiences of making an appointment, visiting the GP surgery, seeing staff and being prescribed medicines.
Presents data directly from GP practices and produces estimated 3-month vacancy figures at national level for GPs, practice nurses/nurse practitioners and other practice staff.
A range of indicators on performance of GP practices
Figures on general medical practitioners (GPs), including age, gender and contract type; and on general practice populations.
This Release presents a summary of the latest statistics on General Medical Practitioners in Wales
This Statistical Release presents information on the results in the Welsh GP Patient Survey.
Immunisation Statistics
The report presents the financial investment in General Practice. It has been agreed by the Technical Steering Committee.
The report presents the financial investment in General Practice by the four countries of the UK. It has been agreed by the Technical Steering Committee.
Results from a survey of general practices in Scotland, designed to support workforce planning for primary care.
The prevalence bulletin contains bar charts of overall prevalence in Northern Ireland for the 20 Quality & Outcomes Framework registers which count patients with specific conditions or diseases. The report also contains frequency distribution charts for each register.
This survey was developed in collaboration with the four UK Health departments, BMA General Practitioners Committee (GPC) and NHS Employers organisation. The results of the survey will be used to determine the level of payment the Health and Social Services Board will make to GP practices for meeting agreed standards on improving patient access to care and consultations with healthcare professionals.
Full publication of points and pounds achieved from the Quality and Outcomes Framework by GP practice.
Covers a sample of practices from each primary care trust and aims to get feedback from practices on their perception of the support offered by their PCT.
Presents data on GP prescribing in Wales.
The Quality & Outcomes Framework (QOF) is a major part of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract, introduced in April 2004. The QOF measures GP practice achievements against a range of evidence-based indicators, with points and payments awarded to practices according to their level of achievement.
Quality and Outcomes Framework
Results of GP practices' achievement against the QOF.
Achievement information is based on practice level achievement againsts primary care indicators. Prevalence figures are based on numbers of patients on GP clinical registers for specific conditions. Exceptions data presents information on numbers of patients with specific clinical conditions who are not included in QOF indicator data used to measure achievement. There are a number of criteria to determine exception reported patients. All data are presented at GP practice, PCT, SHA and England
Exception reporting for indicators with the 'clinical domain' of the QOF.
Annual report summarising antimicrobial use and resistance in humans in Scotland
Describes the population and practices contributing to the analysis in terms of geographical location, list size and overall age-sex structure.
There is a range of statistics and publications on different aspects of General Practice.
GP workforce census
The GP census is collected each year and records numbers and details of GPs in England along with information on their practices, staff, patients and the services they provide. More detail on this can be found in the Workforce, Finance and Performance topic.
GP practice vacancies
This is an annual survey. Its purpose is to collect and supply data on GP recruitment in England and Wales and to provide information on practice nurse and practice staff vacancies in GP practices.
GP workload
This provides an overview of the entire workload and skill-mix of general practices in the UK. This was a one-off publication relating to the 2006/07 financial year.
GP patient survey
The GP patient survey relates to GP practices in England and was developed to collect information to reward GP practices according to performance on elements of patient access to GP services and choice of hospital services.
Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)
The QOF is a voluntary annual reward and incentive programme for GP surgeries which is part of GP contracts. Results of GP practices' achievements are published each year.
GP earnings and expenses
The Earnings and Expenses Enquiry provides a detailed study of the earnings and expenses of contractor and salaried GPs in the UK.
Investment in General Practice
This report details the annual financial investment in General Practice in the UK.
Technical Data
The following publications can be found on the Information Centre website.
GP workforce census
More detail on this can be found in the Workforce, Finance and Performance topic. This publication can be found on the Information Centre website.
GP practice vacancies
The GP Practice Vacancies Survey collects data directly from GP practices in England and Wales and produces estimated three-month vacancy and total vacancy figures at national level for different staff types.
The survey samples 2,000 randomly selected GP practices in England stratified by Strategic Health Authority (SHA), and 200 practices in Wales, stratified by Welsh Government Office Region. Practices were asked to fill in a questionnaire and the report relates to the data provided by respondents. Due to the sample sizes comparisons at SHA level have not been published.
GP workload
The last GP workload survey was undertaken in 2006, and considered the workload of GPs. Staff in a representative sample of 329 practices completed diary sheets for one week in September or December 2006. As the survey was targeted at work in the practice it excludes work done elsewhere as well as any work identified as out-of-hours not relating to the practice contract.
GP patient survey
The survey measures practices' performance against the standards set out in the Directed Enhanced Services known as the 'Improved Access Scheme' and 'Choice and Booking'. These one-year agreements were applied in 2006/07 and repeated for 2007/08. Fieldwork took place from January to March 2008. For the Access part of the survey, questionnaire forms were mailed directly to a sample of patients from each practice. For the Choice part of the survey, GP practices were asked to give a questionnaire form to every adult patient who was referred to secondary care for a condition where the Choice policy applies. Completed questionnaires were returned directly by patients.
Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)
The QOF has four domains (clinical, organisational, patient care experience and additional services). Each domain consists of a set of achievement measures, called indicators, against which practices score points according to their level of achievement. The QOF was introduced on 1 April 2004. Participation rates are very high.
GP earnings and expenses
Earnings and expenses information are based on a sample from HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) tax self-assessment database. All analyses are carried out on anonymised data; only aggregate non-disclosive information is published.
All UK NHS GPs for whom information are available, and who have an accounting year ending in the final quarter are included in the sample. The results relate to NHS and private work, for both full and part time GPs.
Investment in General Practice
The report details the investment in General Practice, and draws on information obtained from country level financial monitoring reports. It contains some financial flows that do not reach the GP, but contribute towards Primary Medical Care investment. For the period 2003/04 to 2005/06, the figures are a measure against the Gross Investment Guarantee (GIG). The GIG no longer exists and recorded levels of investment from 2006/07 is measured using total spend. While the measures used in 2003/04 to 2005/06 and the measure used in 2006/07 onwards are very similar, it is not possible to draw exact comparisons between the figures.
Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS)
Primary medical services commissioned from non-GMS or non-PMS providers, for example from the voluntary sector, commercial sector, other NHS trusts or other PCTs.
Contractor GP
Previously referred to as a principal GP, a contractor GP is a practitioner who has entered into a contract with a Primary Care Organisation (PCO) either as an individual or part of a practice to provide primary care services. This may be as a single-hander, or as part of a partnership. A contractor GP may employ salaried GPs.
These refer to the GPs' outgoings, and relate to business costs, for example premises, employees, and interest on business loans. These are also known as allowable expenses.
General Medical Services (GMS)
A GMS practice is one that has a standard, nationally negotiated contract. Within this, there is some local flexibility for GPs to 'opt out' of certain services or 'opt in' to the provision of other services.
Gross Earnings (previously Gross Turnover)
Gross earnings refer to the total amount of a GP's self-employed income i.e. before deductions or expenses from all sources or self employment income are subtracted.
Income before tax
Income before tax is the difference between gross earnings and expenses. It can be considered as the 'profit' element of gross earnings for contractor GPs relates to pay before tax deductions.
New GMS contract (nGMS)
The new General Medical Service contract was designed to improve the way that Primary Medical Care services (GMS, PMS, APMS and PCTMS) were funded and to allow practices greater flexibility to determine the range of services they wish to provide, including through opting out of additional services and out-of-hours care.
Personal Medical Services (PMS)
The PMS contract was introduced in 1998 in England and Scotland (as in the Section 17c agreement) as a local alternative to the national GMS contract. PMS contracts are voluntary, locally-negotiated contracts between PCOs and the PMS Provider, enabling, for example, flexible provision of services in accordance with specific local circumstances.
Primary Care
Primary care includes medical, dental, ophthalmic and pharmaceutical services, and also NHS Direct and NHS walk-in centres. In the UK, all these services are managed at a local level by Primary Care Organisations (for example, Primary Care Trusts in England). They are responsible for ensuring that the Primary Care services available meet the needs of the patients.
Primary Care Trust Medical Services (PCTMS)
Primary medical services provided directly by the PCT, for example through directly employing a salaried GP.
The Quality Management Analysis System (QMAS) is a national system developed by NHS Connecting for Health. QMAS uses data from general practices to calculate individual practices' QOF achievement.
Salaried GP
A salaried GP is employed by the contractor GP(s) of a practice; they may also be employed by the Primary Care Organisation (PCO). The cost of employing a salaried GP could form part of the employee expenses of contractor GPs. If the salaried GP is employed directly by a PCO then the 'employer' GP's tax return will not have incurred the expense.
Contact Details
For statistical enquiries about this topic, please contact:
Jane Winter
Email: email@example.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 845 300 6016
The NHS Information Centre 1 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane Leeds LS1 6AE


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DANCING WITH THE STARS THE RESULTS SHOW - "Episode 1604A" - The female Pro and Troupe dancers performed a special opening number, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, on "Dancing with the Stars the Results Show" (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on ABC. (ABC/Adam Taylor)
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NASHVILLE - "I'm Sorry for You, My Friend" - Rayna and Juliette get ready to perform in San Diego in their first arena concert on the same bill. Rayna finds that working without Deacon is too disruptive and makes an interesting proposal to Liam, while Juliette sends Sean a message through the press. Gunnar takes a road trip to Austin to visit his brother, and Scarlett tags along for the ride so she can catch Deacon's performance in Texas with the Revel Kings. Meanwhile Avery makes his move to sign with Dominic, and Teddy and Coleman's campaigns find them in a dead heat, on "Nashville," WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/JON LEMAY) CLARE BOWEN
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Last October, amid much glitz, glamour but light attendance, the first ever Anaheim International Film Festival premiered, and while it's not quite one-and-done, organizers plan this year to sprinkle festival screenings in with regular UltraLuxe of GardeWalk programming throughout the fall. Meanw ... More >>
Start working out those eyeballs, Orange County. This fall is going to be given over to back-to-back film festivals, the first a returner to Huntington Beach and the second an inaugural run in Anaheim. Both events will give significant screen time to the works of local filmmakers, from students t ... More >>
www.davidbeatty.netSean Wing and Heather Williams in "Lien On Me"Before we start, a moment of full disclosure: I've know photographer/playwright/actor/ director/screenwriter and filmmaker David Beatty for over a decade. He was a member of my late theater company, Rude Guerrilla, where he taught ... More >>
Dave Barton, Artistic Director of the Rude Guerrilla Theater Company (and frequent Weekly contributor), posted these two messages on his personal blog about a nasty Saturday morning fire that damaged the downtown Santa Ana building which houses RGTC (reprinted with permission): "Oh, God...Rude Guer ... More >>
Recollections of what made 2007 theater sing
Rude Guerrilla turns its focus to the most important playwright you've probably never heard of


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gif photoset! Personally I prefer the video version. :)
Hello! I'm Rimon, an artist in Brisbane, Australia. I like to draw stuff. I also animate. I have some pet rats and an Etsy shop. My spammier blog is Frowny.
Things I am currently up to:
-Working full-time as a videogame artist at a really rad company
-Finishing up the last of my freelance commission work
-Turning all my friends and coworkers into cute pixel sprites
chum(s) pestering
theme by iemai


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Thanks for your Enquiry
We have had no problems with the Bonnet protectors not fitting the 2012 WK Grand Cherokee. The Bonnet has not changed from the 2011 and we have sold plenty for the 2012 model with no complaints.
I advise taking the vehicle into the Dealership and getting this looked at.


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Paris, 27 - 29 february 2012 Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris.This photo was shot on film. Taken by loulounaomi with a Lomography Diana F+ (available in our Online Shop) loaded with Lomography CN 800 120 film film in Paris, France. These tags describe this photo: paris and parijs. Date: 2012-02-27. Time: Noon. This photo can also be found in the album Paris.
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There are two definitions we can use for a white Christmas - snow on Christmas Day, or snow leftover on the ground from a previous snowfall.
The last time we had a measurable snow on Christmas Day was back in 1948, when we had 0.4" of snow. (The most was 2.4" the year before, in 1947.) There have been a few years since 1948 where we had snow flurries, but they never measured up to anything more than a trace of snow.
There is a less than 5% chance of Norfolk getting a measurable snow on Christmas Day.
As for snow left on the ground from a previous snowfall, we had 4" of snow left on the ground back in 1966.


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Just the other day, we reported that Chinese police officers had seized a one-off Koenigsegg Agera R BLT because of an import tax issue and now it looks like another wealthy Chinese man has placed an order for another one-off Koenigsegg Agera.
The first image we have on the car suggests that this one-off Agera will be painted in a very cool black exterior paint combined with a new set of carbon fiber wheels. There will also be a new front fascia with a more aggressive lower front splitter and a fixed roof with a carbon fiber air scoop.
The pièce de résistance of this car is that the twin turbocharged 5.0 liter V8 engine will be tricked to deliver a staggering 1400 HP.
We're hoping we'll have more details on this car pretty soon, so stay tuned! We're hoping that this guy will actually have the chance to drive the car he paid for!


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Male drinkers suffered at least 30 percent fewer heart attacks than non-drinkers, according to a Spanish study that found no such relationship between alcohol consumption and heart health among women.
Reuters reported Feb. 4 that researchers studied 15,630 men and 25,808 women ages 26-69 for 10 years. They found that, among men, moderate, high, and very high levels of alcohol consumption were linked with reduced risk of heart attacks and other heart-related "events" over the 10-year study period.
The benefit was seen regardless of the type of alcohol consumed, according to researcher Larrarte Arriola of the Public Health Department of Gipuzkoa in San Sebastian, part of the Basque region of Spain.
The findings were published in the Jan. 15, 2010 issue of the journal Heart.


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Company - Consulting - Reports
News - Contact
Sep 30th, 2013
Pacific Biosciences announces agreement with Roche diagnostics to develop and supply DNA sequencing-based products for clinical diagnostics
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc., provider of the PacBio® RS II DNA Sequencing System, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Roche Diagnostics to develop diagnostic products, including sequencing systems and consumables, based on Pacific Biosciences' single molecule, real-time (SMRT®) technology.
Pacific Biosciences will develop and manufacture certain products intended for clinical use, which it will sell exclusively to Roche. Roche obtained worldwide rights to exclusively distribute these products in the field of human in vitro diagnostics. Pacific Biosciences will continue to market its current and future products for all fields outside of human in vitro diagnostics, including research, plant, animal, and applied markets.
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Yole Développement: Le Quartz, 75 cours Emile Zola, 69100 Villeurbanne, France. TEL: (33) 472 83 01 80 FAX: (33) 472 83 01 83 E-Mail: info @yole.fr


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KaliO said:
Georgette Heyer was surely the ultimate Jane Austen fan. By the time of her death in 1974 she had written over fifty books, most set in Regency England and featuring smart, genteel young women falling in love. Heyer was less interested in social commentary than Austen, but she sure loved the society. Her historical detail is impeccable, but if what you love most about Jane Austen is the delightful characters and sparkling romance, then Heyer is the author for you. Frederica is a good introduction to her work. The title character is a capable young woman who—at the age of 24—is too busy running her household of precocious younger siblings to be concerned with her own romantic fate. That just might change when Frederica entrusts her charming family to the care of the snobbish Lord Alverstroke.
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|Home | Gateways | Academics | Admission | Directories | Site Index
Date: Wednesday, October 8th, 2014
Date: Fall 2014
Date: Thurday, April 2nd, 2015
Meetings are Mondays at 5pm in 119 Moon
Engineers Without Borders - USA (EWB-USA) is a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality of life for people at home and abroad. Our chapter, ESF-EWB, strives to provide engineering solutions to communities in Latin America in need of better infrastructure. Members work on designing projects and get the chance to travel and experience different cultures.
The SUNY ESF chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA was created in fall 2003 by one Syracuse University Environmental Engineering student and two SUNY ESF Forest Engineering students. Throughout its existence, the ESF chapter of EWB has been entirely student-run. Students decide what projects the chapter will work on and are in charge of the entire project. Faculty and professionals are welcomed as mentors to supplement the students' design process.
In addition to international endeavors, the ESF chapter of EWB-USA likes to focus on community volunteering and design projects, chapter collaboration, educational workshops, and campus activities such as speakers, TGs and films.
ESF-EWB welcomes all majors, so even if you have no experience in engineering or international service, don't hesitate to join in.
Over the past year we have seen many changesfrom a change in leadership to a change in name. Changes are always a challenge, but as a motivated student club, challenges are what we strive to overcome. Formerly known as Engineers Without Borders (EWB), we as a club have transformed to Engineering for a Sustainable Society (ESS). This is a change that we as a club have been awaiting anxiously so that we can become our own entity and return to our grassroot origins. Since our club began, we have learned the importance of being multi disciplinary in the work we do and the way we think to come up with solutions. We wanted to attract more members to our club, other than just engineers to get outside views. Hence we adopted a new name to appeal to the majority of our campus while maintaining the importance of our engineering practices.
The first part of our new name "Engineering" is a form of action. We are not static but dynamic in our actions. Every year we are evolving, moving onto new projects and seeking members of different educational backgrounds. You do not have to be an engineer to "engineer" something. Engineering uses insights to conceive an idea, and all students at ESF have the capability to do this. Our insights may be on different topics but that is what we want, knowledge on different topics to create a holistic solution. The second half of our new name is "Sustainable Society". Now a days sustainable is a common word being thrown around, it's a buzz word symbolizing the "green revolution", but what does it actually mean? For us, sustainability is about designing a selfsupporting system made of all local materials, a system that the locals will be able to maintain long after we leave the community.
Finally, all though we have changed our club name that does not mean we are no longer EWB. In fact, ESS is just a big umbrella under which we are a part of Engineers Without Borders. The idea behind adopting a different name is having the freedom to work on local projects and assist non profit organizations we know through professors and graduate students so that our organization can have a larger impact upon communities both locally and internationally.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
EWB-USA Website
ESF ERE Website
President: Thomas Decker
Vice President: Kristine Ellsworth
Secretary: Kiana Morse
Treasurer: Sam Meserve
USA Representaative: Douglas Reymore
Public Relations: Taylor Brown
Webmaster: Kurt Dirr


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Halloween Fright Film
Primary tabs
Teens do you enjoy scary movies? Have you heard about the popular Insidious 2? Come see how it all began at the Southwest Neighborhood Library's screening of Insidious.
Spend your Halloween night with a great movie! Popcorn and candy will be served.
Synopsis: A family moves into an old house and begins to suspect they are under siege from otherworldly forces when their young son inexplicably falls into a deep coma. As devoted parents Josh and Renai Byrne struggle in vain to uncover the root cause of their son's condition, the stress of the situation gradually begins to take its toll on their once-strong relationship. Later, when darkness falls and specters appear to reach out for them from the shadows, the frightened parents realize they're dealing with powers beyond human comprehension.


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UPDATE 12/20/10 @ 6 p.m.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WSAZ) -- The controversial vote to allow gay service men and women to openly serve in the military has the nation talking, but here at home the talk is also about the vote that didn't happen.
Newly minted Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was a no-show in the Senate on Saturday. He attended an already planned family Christmas party instead.
"I had a commitment to my grandchildren that I thought I couldn't miss," Manchin says.
But the decision has several people speaking out, including the West Virginia AFL-CIO which usually backs Manchin.
Kenny Perdue, the president of the AFL-CIO, issued a statement saying in part:
"Unfortunately Senator Joe Manchin isn't demonstrating characteristics of a great Senator during his first month in office. It's a job that encompasses voting on important issues, not avoiding work on the days tough issues are decided."
West Virginia GOP Chair Mike Stuart said, "I think the person he replaced would be very troubled by the fact that he chose to skip an important session of congress to be in Pittsburgh at a holiday party."
Sen. Robert Byrd would wheel himself to the floor of the Senate to cast crucial votes.
But Manchin says his vote wouldn't have altered the outcome, and it wouldn't have.
He says he would have gone against his party and voted no to repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
"They (military leaders) thought the timing of it could jeopardize the mission, so I voted against it and I had voted against it before," Manchin says. "Had I been there, I would have voted against it again."
Three Republicans also missed the vote.
Lawmakers do miss days from time to time. During the past two years, Representative Nick Rahall has missed two full days. Representative Shelley Moore Capito has missed three full days. Sen. Jay Rockefeller has missed 18 full days over the past two years, but much of that was in 2009 when he had to have emergency knee surgery.
Manchin was not in Washington when the U.S. Senate voted to overturn the military ban on openly gay troops, and to block a bill to provide hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal status by enrolling in college or joining the military.
Manchin was at odds with most Democrats on both issues.
The former governor released statements Saturday saying he could not support repealing the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy or "Dream Act" immigration bill.
Manchin spokeswoman Sara Payne Scarbro said he was at a family holiday gathering. She said he regretted missing the votes, but could not break the family obligation.


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From its 2002 auto show introduction to an early-order program that sold 1,000 cars in 41 minutes, the Pontiac Solstice has always invoked a passionate response from customers. Now, Pontiac is taking the vehicle's combination of sensuous styling and driving exhilaration to a new level with the announcement of the turbocharged 2007 Solstice GXP.
Features, Performance
The heart of the Solstice GXP is the Ecotec 2.0-liter turbo engine, GM's first direct injection offering in North America . It produces 260 horsepower (194 kw) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 Nm),* making it GM's highest specific output engine ever, at 2.1 horsepower per cubic inch of displacement (130 hp / 97 kw per liter), and the most powerful production engine in the Ecotec family.
A dual-scroll turbocharger with a lightweight turbine provides nearly instant power, and an air-to-air intercooling system boosts the turbo's performance by reducing inlet temperatures. Dual cam phasing complements the turbocharging system by optimizing valve timing at lower rpm for best turbo response and quick access to engine torque.
Direct injection technology helps the Ecotec engine produce more power while maintaining the lower fuel consumption of a small displacement port-injected engine.
With direct injection, fuel is delivered directly to the combustion chamber to create a more complete burn of the air/fuel mixture. Less fuel is required to produce the equivalent horsepower, especially at normal cruising speeds, of a conventional port-injection combustion system.
The GXP's high-performance Ecotec turbo engine is connected to a standard five-speed manual gearbox, or an optional five-speed automatic transmission. Either transmission can propel the car from zero-to 60 mph in under 5.5 seconds.
Additional options include a rear deck spoiler, leather seating, sport metallic pedals, chrome wheels, enhanced audio options, including XM Satellite Radio, and OnStar.
The 2007 Solstice GXP will be available in fall 2006. Pricing has not yet been established.


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Win "Martha's Entertaining: A Year of Celebrations" on the Ehell blog! Entries close May 11th.
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Does anyone have any good recipes involving oysters? I've offered to cook my mother a birthday meal and she loves them, but I've never had them any way other than on ice.Thanks.
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CONTEST: Tag FMIV in a post on Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr or anywhere on the internet, go crazy! The 5 people that go the craziest promoting by 12AM EST tonight will get a private acoustic performance via Skype! 321 go! (Take screen shots if using tumblr or anything that isn't FB or Twitter where we won't see it)
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There's another twist in the Justin Bieber - Selena Gomez saga. Selena was photographed leaving Justin's home Saturday morning, sparking rumors that they've reconciled again.
X17Online.com has posted pictures of Selena at Justin's Los Angeles home after reportedly spending the night there. The website's photographer is quoted as saying, "Selena looks like a young girl in love. And obviously Justin's trying to win her back -- sending her home in his car and everything -- giving her the royal treatment."
The couple had reportedly split late last year following a fight in Mexico. Justin even included a song about the breakup on his Believe Acoustic album.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio


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I reported last week that the US DOE is concerned about changes to Georgia's Race to the Top plans, changes that could cost the state $33 million of the $400 million education reform grant.
One of the federal agency's concerns was that Georgia wanted to put less focus on student surveys, piloted this year in some Georgia districts. I wrote about the evaluations a while back.
You can read the US DOE letter here.
According to the AJC, Georgia Schools Superintendent John Barge has responded to the feds, saying he will not implement a teacher evaluation system that might not work and could lead to lawsuits.
The AJC reported:
Barge, in a letter to Ann Whalen, who oversees the federal Race to the Top program, said attorneys for Georgia schools determined that including student input in teacher evaluations is legally risky.
"I will not waste taxpayer dollars to defend a system that we have been warned will not work, " Barge wrote.
Georgia's pledge to implement a new teacher evaluation system was part of the reason it won a $400 million federal Race to the Top education grant. Tinkering with its plans for that system got a $33 million chunk of that grant money placed on "high risk" status by the U.S. Department of Education.
In its winning application for Race to the Top funds, Georgia officials said they would implement a teacher evaluation system that includes student surveys of teachers.
"The grant application was written by a different administration and was Georgia's best estimate of how we needed to proceed in order to achieve the goals outlined in the grant application, " Barge wrote.
Georgia officials now believe the surveys, particularly from students in kindergarten through the second grade, should not be used as an official part of the evaluation system and should, instead, be informational. They have said the surveys from young students are likely to be uniformly positive, and they have questioned how appropriate it is for students to have a role in evaluating their teachers.
Teresa MacCartney, deputy superintendent for Race to the Top implementation in Georgia, said the state is concerned about potential legal action from teachers if they are denied a raise or face sanction because of student surveys, which, in the state's initial plan, would account for 10 percent of a teacher's formal evaluation. "Our legal counsel has advised that, without changes, we will subject the state to a potentially highly litigious situation, " Barge wrote.
The federal government granted Georgia's request to drop the student surveys from students in kindergarten through the second grade, but it wants the state to demonstrate more clearly how it would use surveys from older students.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
July 9th, 2012
10:15 am
I am wary about student surveys. I was part of a beta group for surveys in my middle school homeroom, and a student who often got in trouble in my class and others flat out told me that he was going to give me a bad eval and tried to get others to do so. I know that is one bad experience, but sadly, some students will base evaluations on emotions not facts.
July 9th, 2012
10:17 am
Surveys should be informational, but not 10% of an evaluation. Even in upper grades. I can see kids giving bad evaluations because their teacher gave them detention, or silent lunch.
July 9th, 2012
10:18 am
This is a classic example of how the feds bully states into compliance with their insane ideas. Give me a break! Student surveys have no part in teachers' evaluations. Period!
July 9th, 2012
10:28 am
Troublemaking students evaluating teacher…….hmmmmm let me think……..stupid idea. What is wrong with you people!
July 9th, 2012
10:29 am
I say forfeit the 33 million- and do what is right in Georgia. There are so many dedicated teachers in Georgia. IMO Arne Duncan's ideas are based on his experiences with Teacher's Unions up north.
July 9th, 2012
10:29 am
John-The student survey is designed to be applicable to the Positive School Climate and the new definition of student achievement in that NCLB waiver.
For the feds who have the template for how Common Core is really supposed to work Race to the Top and the NCLB waivers and the school improvement, quality assurance, and accreditation policies and practices in the classroom are all tools for hiding the controversial change the child component of Common Core.
The teacher eval is merely to prevent the teacher from closing the door and teaching content. Wrecking full implementation of the real Common Core once again.
And I say that having spent the weekend tracking what Georgia is doing to USG to try to be an early implementer of the Bologna Process and Lumina's Degree Qualifications Profile. It announced its plans in November 2011 and it relates to changing the nature of college so that a Common Core high school degree will mean college ready. So many moving parts.
At least we have a State School Super trying to do right by Georgia's teachers and schoolchildren.
http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/rigor-relevance-and-relationships-the-new-3rs-to-get-to-a-caring-economics/ is a post I just finished as part 2 of what got a lot of play all over the world this weekend.
There is such a hunger for solid information on what is really happening in education, K-12 and higher ed, globally.
Back to documenting the use of accreditation as the driver of transformative change and the enforcer for what is expressly a political vision. Education is only a tool.
July 9th, 2012
10:36 am
I worked as a long-term substitute in a Race to the Top school last Spring. My students had to fill out surveys evaluating my effectiveness as a teacher–which would have been part of my evaluation if I were a contracted teacher.
Most of the kids completed the survey in less than three minutes, quickly bubbling in the highest or second highest rating in every category–they just wanted to get done with it.
One highly competitive girl who had recently received a 97 on her progress report, gave me the lowest scores possible on fairness in assessment and grading–she was still mad about that 97!
One group of girls who had gotten in a lot of trouble for talking nonstop all semester (and who had gotten in trouble with their parents after I called) gave me the lowest possible scores on "treats all students fairly and treats all students with respect," though they gave me excellent scores in everything else.
Finally, another small group of kids who had spent most of the semester in ISS for every possible infraction, gave me the lowest possible scores in every single category.
You should have seen the look of triumph on the faces of the kids who gave me bad reviews–they were having their moment of revenge! It would have been hilarious if it hadn't been so scary! All I could do was thank them for their input–and be glad that as a long term sub, it didn't matter for me anyway.
July 9th, 2012
10:43 am
One more thing about the surveys–I felt that it was important that the students' input reflected their group's opinion of me. So if Sally hated me because she got in trouble, her best friends hated me too. Woe to the teacher who has to punish a popular kid–in one class where I taught a popular, athletic boy who got in trouble a lot, all the girls with crushes on him rated me as "unfair."
These are kids we are talking about–I would have done the same at their age, I have no doubt!
July 9th, 2012
10:48 am
In turn, how do you all feel about teachers who get written up, put on professional development plans, etc…completing a survey to evaluate administrators.
Just sayin'……
July 9th, 2012
10:49 am
Students are not skilled at conducting evaluations, especially at the lower grade levels. What value would one expect from evaluations based primarily on emotion? I've seen problems with evaluations given by adults from teacher workshops.
I agree with the comments that they should be conducted and used for informational purposes.
July 9th, 2012
10:59 am
Student surveys? This the best they can do? Pitiful! Pitiful, sad and in about 3 years this will be deemed to have been an awful idea.
July 9th, 2012
11:00 am
They say that it will be ony a cross section- so even if all of the students take it- only so many will be counted.
July 9th, 2012
11:05 am
Recall a student asking about how teachers can be fired and how he and a previous class got a teacher fired. Comment made because he did not like the grade he had in class- even though he earned it.
July 9th, 2012
11:05 am
It was stated that the money was received based on allowing the reviews to be considered. No you don't want to use the reviews. Turn down the money…not because Barge had a change of heart and "under a different admin", but because you are no longer honoring what you said you would do on the application! Ethics?
In a different editorial, a web site was furnished for professor evaluations at colleges in this state. Read the reviews…those college kids can't spell, or make a complete sentence. They all focused on how easy/hard the instructor was; not what they had learned! What makes you think a second grader can make meaningful comments?
July 9th, 2012
11:06 am
@Math Teacher: I agree with your experience. As a middle school teacher I experienced some of that type of "group" mentality because I would discipline a member of their group which sometimes meant ISS. Those friends would see me as being unfair, etc. However, the majority of the students were glad to see that disruptive student removed. We have yet to participate in these surveys. I appreciate that Dr. Barge seems to stand up for for teachers.
July 9th, 2012
11:13 am
@ Math Teacher. Not at all your fault since you haven't set up the method of administering the survey, but……… Teachers being evaluated should have NO contact with the students as they evaluate. The teacher certainly shouldn't be able to tell who has written which evaluation. This totally negates the worth of the evaluation. The evaluations should be completed anonymously, by computer if possible.
To me, the real legal problem of basing pay raises and job sanctions on student evaluations is that our legal system is based on the idea that the accused has the right to face and answer his or her accuser. This is not possible with student evaluations, whether for grades 3-12 or for college. Then there is the subsidiary question of whether the evaluator is qualified to evaluate given such high stakes, especially in grades 3-12.
As for vince's question about faculty evaluating administrators, that certainly seems justified…. faculty do it at the college level all the time, anonymously of course.
July 9th, 2012
11:16 am
Most teachers remember at least one student who returned several years later to say "thanks" to the teacher who was willing to require academic effort and good conduct from him or her. This same student may have 'rated' negatively his or her teacher while still a student. It's nothing short of incredible to see the stupid piled on top of stupid that has become our nation's approach to education. Even if not an experienced, successful teacher, couldn't any person with half a brain discern the idiocy of including such surveys for anything other than informational purposes in evaluations? I remember doing such evaluations in college. At the time, we were made aware that these evaluations were for our professor only, not to be seen by anyone else. I found that useful. I felt it safe to give real feedback, negative or positive. We already have students who expect us to do nearly all or all of their work for them and then to find a way to pass them since NCLB has resulted in everyone but the student having to answer for his or her lack of interest or effort. It would be lovely to think that all students come to school to learn and that they truly wish to conduct themselves in a civil manner; instead, many have only social and/or nutritional goals—I"m here for the free lunch and for the opps to hang with my friends. It is lunacy to incorporate this fallacy into the teacher evaluation system. Even teachers' evaluations of administrators should be informational…………..sometimes someone has to be the bad guy, making or enforcing the unpopular choices of the those we've elected to our board.
July 9th, 2012
11:20 am
@Prof–I agree, and was surprised that I was to administer surveys to my own students. I would say that most of the students didn't care about the surveys at all–it was another chore. As a Race to the Top school, we were testing them and surveying them weekly, sometimes daily, and they were fed up with the whole process. But the kids who had a bone to pick were HAPPY that I was in the room, they wanted me to see their surveys. They made a point to hand them to me with a look of triump!
–Power to the People! ha!
July 9th, 2012
11:22 am
So, GA DOE and governor see the pitfalls NOW of prostituting oneself (the kids) to the federal dollar john. What happened to being responsible? What happened to planning ahead? Another big FAIL for GADOE and Deal.
July 9th, 2012
11:24 am
@ Vince The teachers on PDPs should be recognizable in their comments, wouldn't you think? And, as I have noted before, those should be outliers. How fair do you think it is that teachers' evaluations be conducted by administrators who may have very little classroom experience (or, in some cases, NO regular classroom experience)? If those administrators don't have some type of building-level evaluation, how will you identify problems in leadership (hopefully early in their administrative tenure). The new evaluation system is putting MUCH emphasis on administrative feedback on teachers; how else will you know if the evaluators are qualified if teachers can't evaluate them as well?
July 9th, 2012
11:28 am
@MB and Vince- there are sometimes questions as to the merit of the PDP in and of itself. I have seen it. It truly has been an instrument of abuse. Often because one disagrees with an administrator.
July 9th, 2012
11:29 am
I might add my system was one that prostituted itself (sold its soul, really) to get millions of Reading First dollars. The only trouble was, Reading First was based on false assumptions and its "research based best practices" turned out to be made of hot air. (I asked, in exasperation, at one point to see the research on those practices as they relate to ELL kids. Long silence. Then told there WAS NO research on those kids and what worked for them!) We have 8 or more years' worth of kids whose reading comprehension is poor, but By God! they can "call" any word you put in front of them!
July 9th, 2012
11:30 am
@ math teacher….ooohhhh…yeah, Prof is right. The surveys should have been administered by a 3rd party, preferably a counselor or AP, at computers away from the classroom. Our AP administered all of ours.
July 9th, 2012
11:30 am
I have had students complain about my not letting them earn a grade for completing a teacher evaluation; other have suggested that I could improve my evaluations if I did so. Need I say more?
While student feedback can have value, at least in the upper grades and college, basing any part of a teacher's "formal evaluation," especially if that evaluation is tied to pay, is highly questionable and may be counterproductive. If a teacher knows his or her salary will be affected by student evaluations, there is an obvious insentive to please students rather than hold them accountable.
July 9th, 2012
11:32 am
OMG! Stupidity to the nth degree! With all the budget cutbacks, layoffs furloughs, do more with less programs, let's just close the doors to the school and let the the chips fall where they may. Teachers are held to higher standards than elected officials who earn triple pay,
July 9th, 2012
11:32 am
others; incentive
July 9th, 2012
11:35 am
I am sure the students would rate a teacher very highly who help them cheat on tests. APS should make out relly well.
July 9th, 2012
11:36 am
I wish an evaluation could be done of the DeKalb School Watch website. I'd give it an F because they censor comments that are contrary to their viewpoints. It did allow differing opinions at one time however it seems those hosting that site did not like the fact the some understood the laws associated with education. It makes a big difference what one can and cannot do, especially when earmarked dollars are involved.
July 9th, 2012
11:38 am
@ another view. My point is that if there are only a few disgruntled teachers in the building, negative feedback should be outlier and an administrator's overall evaluation should be positive. My guess is that if an administrator is using PDPs as a personal punitive measure, a majority of teachers will be dissatisfied and further investigation would be warranted. We have had MAJOR admin changes in my system and there are some poorly-qualified admins who, IMHO, should not be evaluating what they can't do (or have not done) themselves. Some of them, due to their lack of experience, are trying to manage by fear and intimidation. Teachers in those buildings should have a voice to let others know (anonymously – see fear and intimidation?) what is happening. Teacher transfers are not always an option, and may be jumping from one fire to another. I think the survey of teachers should be more than informative in the leadership evaluations!
July 9th, 2012
11:40 am
My question was to merely shed light from another angle onto this situation. We rail against the idea of disruptive and unhappy students evaluating their teachers performance yet I suspect many would not see a problem with poor teachers evaluating their administrators.
….unless, of course, you would believe that there is no such thing as a poor teacher.
July 9th, 2012
11:42 am
I think a better idea is to let teachers evaluate the administration. If a Superintendent gets too many black marks, off with his head!
July 9th, 2012
11:43 am
Also let teachers fill out an evaluaion of the parents. Too low and the Parent has to go to jail.
July 9th, 2012
11:43 am
"I will not waste taxpayers' money to defend a system which we have been warned will not work."
KUDOS, Dr. Barge.
Our SSOS is going to pick his battles. John's not going to fight for a flawed system developed and promoted by a prior administration. Can anyone blame him?
But please do not infer from his statement that John won't fight. He'll fight in administrative hearings and in the courts for honesty, respect, accountability and discipline in our public schools.
July 9th, 2012
11:44 am
What will be even more pathetic is if the DoE decides to give the $33 million to Georgia and take their explanations. Even if valid, you can't win an award based on a certain set of promises and then decide that some of what you applied for was "not accurate." Maybe it's unfortunate, but Georgia does not deserve the $33 million at this point.
Clearly, Georgia did a horrendous job not validating some of their "assumptions" from all angles BEFORE applying. Of course if it triggers lawsuits, you can't go with it, and so you lose the $33 million. End of story.
July 9th, 2012
11:47 am
We flounder around trying everything new under the sun looking for the "magic bullet" to easily improve education, but never give the old tried and true methods a chance (i.e. parental and student responsibility). Bring back the "F"s and Zeros!!!
July 9th, 2012
11:49 am
Students could care less about your instructional and planning practices- as long as it is fun. Some students can, and will be, purely emotional, mob mentality oriented, opportunistic beings when evaluating teachers.
July 9th, 2012
12:03 pm
another view: Actually, I think students COULD NOT care less about your practices.
living in: I think Georgia, with its effort on RTT NOT being led by experienced teachers, just said anything they thought would get them in, whether it had been carefully considered or vetted, or not. NOW the chickens are coming home to roost, and we know what chickens do when they roost, right?
July 9th, 2012
12:04 pm
@ MB, July 9th, 11:24 am and 11:38 am.
I agreed with your latter post. But in answer to your 11:24 am fear that "teachers would be recognizable in their comments," teachers have either college or advanced degrees and are usually clever enough to disguise their writing styles.
I know I was when asked to evaluate my chair, with whom I had some professional disagreements. Become colloquial if you're usually formal! Avoid the pithy phrase you always use at department meetings! Use short direct sentences if you usually favor long ornate Germanic-style constructions full of semi-colons!
July 9th, 2012
12:09 pm
thanks catlady- It should be "could not care less"
July 9th, 2012
12:14 pm
Another view: I once listened to a friend, the head of recreation at a nursing home, talking to a woman about going on a field trip. He: You say you don't care to? Does that mean you WANT to go or you DON'T want to go!
July 9th, 2012
1:02 pm
Why is it taking some people this long to figure out how stupid the idea of student evaluations is, anyway? Anyone who supported it should be fired for incompetence immediately.
Also, I appreciate Barge's stance on this.
July 9th, 2012
1:26 pm
Since the use of student evaluations has been piloted in Georgia, what does the research say? Were the surveys valid and reliable. In fact, the whole piloted teacher evaluation system…what's the data tell us?
July 9th, 2012
1:37 pm
There is a place for student surveys. When I taught middle school gifted language arts across 6th through 8th grades, I asked the 8th graders who were moving on to evaluate the three years of classes and used it to improve instruction. It was not too personal to me, but I asked them what their favorite unit was, their least favorite unit, how I could do a better job with upcoming 6th graders, Academic Bowl, Honor Society, etc. It was a written survey and I expected them to write a response, but they often ended up discussing among themselves as they completed it. They did it in front of me; joked about unpopular assignments and praised their favorite literature selections. I remember one 8th grader who wrote that he hated the old fashioned language of Dickens' Christmas Carol when he started out, but after reading it together as a class and explaining the antiquated style, it became his favorite book that we did together. I wanted them to be honest and they were never mean spirited. It became one of my favorite activities and I really did use many of their suggestions. They knew it was not to criticize me, but to improve the program.
July 9th, 2012
1:41 pm
I will sue the parents of every student who affects my evaluation if this comes to pass. And I will sue any BOE who publishes my evaulation for the public or parents to see.
July 9th, 2012
1:49 pm
You know, all this stuff being rammed down our throats from the feds, extremely wealthy, and business elite reminds me a lot of the old story , The Emporer's New Clothes. Whether it be Common Core GPS, PARCC assessments, Race to the Top, Value Added Measures for teacher effectiveness, or any of these other components called Ed Reform. Does anyone else see that the emporer is naked?
July 9th, 2012
1:51 pm
Another point: I was a school administrator for 8 years. Throughout the year, parents called to complain, ask questions or make comments about different teachers. My standard answer was, "Have you talked to Mrs.X about this?" and if not, please talk to her first. Then I would not leave it up to the parent and I would have the teacher call the parent to straighten out what I was sure was a misunderstanding. I usually never heard any more about it. BUT, a former administrator advised me to keep a folder on each teacher, and to throw every parent complaint or comment in that folder. Over time, you will see that some folders have nothing but happy parent comments and some begin to bulge with the same complaints. This is where it is fair to make it part of the Duties and Responsibilities evaluation and address weaknesses with a PDP. This is also why it is true that every administrator knows who his problem teachers are without all these artificial hoops that take up so much time.
July 9th, 2012
1:51 pm
Bravo, bravo, bravo Mr. Barge. Incorporating student ratings into teacher hire/fire decisions simply reduces the process to a popularity contest (not far different from the worthless process we now have in place). As with so many other "reforms" based purely on some incompetent's not even half-baked bad ideas, there is NO research that suggests firing teachers by student ratings would make for better learning. There may be a glimmer of hope for Georgia's future yet.
YES, there is a place for student ratings. I too have learned a great deal from their feedback, and I've tried hard (hopefully successfully) to use it to make myself better in the classroom. But to be fired because I refuse to make life easy for someone who wishes not to work doesn't strike me as the way to save American education.
July 9th, 2012
1:57 pm
I don't think numerical evaluations, particularly those from very young students, should play any direct roll in determining teacher pay or anything like that, but I do think that good teachers seek frequent feedback from students and parents, and sometimes that might be best done in the form of a survey, including perhaps an anonymous survey.
July 9th, 2012
2:13 pm
This year our school implemented student evaluations for our feedback in anticipation of the changes that were coming down the pike. Administrators never saw the results, but we were to write a reflection. This took place at the end of each semester. Some students (not all) tried to use this as a power play or intimidation factor. When collecting projects or assignments they they didn't have they would comment that they wanted to know when they were going to evaluate their teachers because they wanted to give certain teachers a bad evaluation. It didn't make too much of a difference because I knew the evaluations didn't mean anything at that point, but I did bring it up to the administration that I didn't appreciate students trying to bully or intimidate me.
July 9th, 2012
2:31 pm
Ah but puppet master and Deal neighbor Will schofield, superintendent here in Hall county, said in the Gainesville paper that the GADOE will 'get in line' in order to get federal dollars.
Barge will fold to his former boss again as he always does.


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Monday, April 25, 2011
Crime, cable and ubiquitous "murder porn"
A couple weeks ago, I had an hour between errands, and I settled down on the couch and flipped the TV to nothing, really. The plan was for my TV set to watch me (take a nap). I just needed a channel with a nice drone. I settled on what appeared to be a documentary and closed my eyes. What I heard while trying to rest made me never want to close my eyes again. It was the Investigation Discovery channel, ID for short, and apparently it serves up a steady diet of highly gendered and racialized crime porn, 24/7.
I know ID is not the only channel with this bent. Crime reality shows are popular up and down the dial. MSNBC seems to give over the entire weekend to behind bars-style shows. Oxygen has never met a woman-snaps-and-kills-her-lover story it didn't like. I wonder, though, why this type of reality television is so popular and what the way these stories are told says about who we are as a society?
The program I encountered on ID explored the Boston Strangler crimes, which occurred during the 60s. And at each commercial break, the channel hawked more shows about murder, home invasions, and missing women and children. It was unsettling and made me feel a little nervous alone, as I was, in my suburban, low-crime neighborhood. I can't imagine how one could be a regular viewer of that channel with its schedule chock full of human depravity, or how constant viewing of these sorts of programs wouldn't stoke the very unhinged fear of society's downfall that seems pervasive these days and is at the root of much regressive and wrong-headed thinking.
There is something nasty about viewing real crime as entertainment. This isn't clean "Columbo"-type murder or even the grittier "Godfather"-style killing. The bodies and crime scene photos and grieving parents on these shows are real and are served to the viewing public for pleasure. It's like pornography, but the release is not orgasm, but something else: anger, fear and a thirst for blood and retribution.
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What is the recent development of Loop Quantum Gravity
by Karmerlo
Tags: loop quantum gravity, recent development
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Feb8-12, 09:40 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
We could bring this thread up to date on recent developments.
Today I noted something really strange in Ashtekar Pawlowski paper on Lqc with Λ>0.
It makes me think of the Cai Easson picture where inflation is driven by a brief epoch of huge cosmological constant, so you don't need a "graviton", and a "curvaton" field supplies the fluctuations in the CMB.
What Ashtekar Pawlowski get is a PLANCK SCALE LIMIT ON THE SIZE OF LAMBDA.
So if it is running up as you go back in time (as the energy scale k is increasing) there is a limit to how big it can get.
I'll get the link
Positive cosmological constant in loop quantum cosmology
Tomasz Pawlowski, Abhay Ashtekar
(Submitted on 1 Dec 2011)
The k=0 Friedmann Lemaitre Robertson Walker model with a positive cosmological constant and a massless scalar field is analyzed in detail. If one uses the scalar field as relational time, new features arise already in the Hamiltonian framework of classical general relativity: In a finite interval of relational time, the universe expands out to infinite proper time and zero matter density. In the deparameterized quantum theory, the true Hamiltonian now fails to be essentially self-adjoint both in the Wheeler DeWitt (WDW) approach and in LQC. Irrespective of the choice of the self-adjoint extension, the big bang singularity persists in the WDW theory while it is resolved and replaced by a big bounce in loop quantum cosmology (LQC). Furthermore, the quantum evolution is...
36 pages
Look on page 20, right after equation (4.9):
==quote Ashtekar Pawlowsk page 20i==
However, because this ΘΛ is negative, the physical Hilbert space is now zero dimensional! (For proofs, see [18].) Thus, in striking contrast to the WDW theory, in LQC a non-trivial quantum theory exists only when the cosmological constant Λ is less than a critical value, Λc. Although this result is not phenomenologically relevant because Λc is of Planck scale, it is of considerable conceptual interest. In the rest of this section, then, we will with work Λ < Λc.
To connect that to the Cai Easson picture:
Think of k as momentum or wavenumber or as inverse length. Then k2 is inverse area.
The cosmological constant Λ is also curvature quantity, an inverse area. So the dimensionless couping number which presumably runs to safety is λ = Λ/k2. This is what goes to a finite limit as k→∞. The only way this can happen is if the dimensionful cosmo constant Λ becomes huge as k increases.
But Ashtekar and Pawlowski find that it can only get so large.
Nice to have a mathematical handle---a grip on the cosmological constant.
In the Loop bounce the Hubble expansion rate parameter, an inverse time, reaches Planck scale in a natural period of inflation that does not require assuming an "inflaton" field. this is even without a positive cosmo constant. The Hubble parameter reaches approximately Planck frequency, as I recall.
Feb8-12, 10:18 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
I think the Ashtekar Pawlowski and the Cai Easson papers offer a remote chance of linking LQC and AS cosmologies, with a running cosmological constant driving inflation.
Here is some bibliography on the Cai Easson paper, to have for convenient reference if anyone is interested:
Higgs Boson in RG running Inflationary Cosmology
Yi-Fu Cai, Damien A. Easson
(Submitted on 6 Feb 2012)
An intriguing hypothesis is that gravity may be non-perturbatively renormalizable via the notion of asymptotic safety. We show that the Higgs sector of the SM minimally coupled to asymptotically safe gravity can generate the observed near scale-invariant spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background through the curvaton mechanism. The resulting primordial power spectrum places an upper bound on the Higgs mass, which for canonical values of the curvaton parameters, is compatible with the recently released Large Hadron Collider data.
5 pages
==Cai Easson page 1==
...In this paper, we propose that the Higgs boson may play an important role in the early inflationary universe if the gravitational theory is asymptotically safe. In the frame of AS gravity, the gravitational constant G and cos- mological constant Λ are running along with the energy scale, and thus vary throughout the cosmological evolution. It has been argued that if there are no intermediate energy scales between the SM and AS scales, the mass of the Higgs boson is predicted to be mH = 126 GeV with only several GeV uncertainty [14]. We find a suitable inflationary solution can be obtained in a cosmological system which contains a Higgs boson and AS gravity, along the lines of [15]. In this model, there are effectively two scalar degrees of freedom, one being the adiabatic mode and the other being an iso-curvature mode. We find the corresponding perturbation theory leads to both the primordial power spectrum for the curvature perturbation and the entropy perturbation. When the cutoff scale runs lower than a critical value, inflation abruptly ends and the Higgs field can give rise to a reheating phase. During this phase, the fluctuations seeded by the Higgs field can be converted into the curvature perturbation through the curvaton mechanism [16, 17]. We derive a relation between the spectral index of the primordial power spectrum and the Higgs mass. We confront this relation with the latest cosmological observations and collider experiment data, and find they are consistent under a group of canonical values of curvaton parameters.
Cai Easson references:
[14] M. Shaposhnikov and C. Wetterich, Phys. Lett. B 683, 196 (2010) http://arxiv.org/abs/0912.0208
[15] Y. -F. Cai and D. A. Easson, Phys. Rev. D 84, 103502 (2011)
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1107.5815.pdf (warning: involves Jordan-Brans-Dicke variant of GR.)
[16]D. H. Lyth and D. Wands, Phys. Lett. B 524, 5 (2002)
Generating the curvature perturbation without an inflaton
David H. Lyth, David Wands
(Submitted on 28 Sep 2001)
We present a mechanism for the origin of the large-scale curvature perturbation in our Universe by the late decay of a massive scalar field, the curvaton. The curvaton is light during a period of cosmological inflation, when it acquires a perturbation with an almost scale-invariant spectrum. This corresponds initially to an isocurvature density perturbation, which generates the curvature perturbation after inflation when the curvaton density becomes a significant fraction of the total. The isocurvature density perturbation disappears if the curvaton completely decays into thermalised radiation...
8 pages.
Feb8-12, 11:18 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
I'll try to assemble a select bunch of links I think relevant to current directions in LQG research
Google "alesci rovelli hamiltonian arxiv" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1005.0817 [second hit]
Google "ashtekar introduction 2012" and get http://arxiv.org/pdf/1201.4598.pdf [review]
Google "rovelli zakopane" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1102.3660 [tutorial, research problems]
Google "pawlowski positive cosmological arxiv" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.0360 [loop with lambda > 0]
Google "freidel geiller ziprick" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1110.4833 [loop classical gravity]
Google "jonathan ziprick pirsa" and get http://pirsa.org/12020096 [loop classical gravity video]
Google "freidel speziale BF" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1201.4247 [ways to get GR from BF]
Google "hossenfelder emission spectra" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.0412 [curious dark matter conjecture, idea for QG test]
Google "wise symmetry gravity" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.2390 [different approach to hamiltonian]
Feb9-12, 02:04 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Latest on the classical/semiclassical limit that I'm aware of. There may be more recent.
Emergence of gravity from spinfoams
Elena Magliaro, Claudio Perini
(Submitted on 10 Aug 2011)
We find a nontrivial regime of spinfoam quantum gravity that reproduces classical Einstein equations. This is the double scaling limit of small Immirzi parameter (gamma), large spins (j) with physical area (gamma times j) constant. In addition to quantum corrections in the Planck constant, we find new corrections in the Immirzi parameter due to the quantum discreteness of spacetime. The result is a strong evidence that the spinfoam covariant quantization of general relativity possesses the correct classical limit.
9 pages, Europhysics Letters 95:30007,2011
Einstein-Regge equations in spinfoams
Claudio Perini
(Submitted on 26 Oct 2011)
We consider spinfoam quantum gravity on a spacetime decomposition with many 4-simplices, in the double scaling limit in which the Immirzi parameter γ is sent to zero (flipped limit) and the physical area in Planck units (γ times the spin quantum number j) is kept constant. We show that the quantum amplitude takes the form of a Regge-like path integral and enforces Einstein equations in the semiclassical regime. In addition to quantum corrections which vanish when the Planck constant goes to zero, we find new corrections due to the discreteness of geometric spectra which is controlled by the Immirzi parameter.
4 pages, based on a talk given at Loops '11 in Madrid, to appear in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS)
Lorentzian spinfoam propagator
Eugenio Bianchi, You Ding
(Submitted on 29 Sep 2011)
The two-point correlation function is calculated in the Lorentzian EPRL spinfoam model, and shown to match with the one in Regge calculus in a proper limit: large boundary spins, and small Barbero-Immirzi parameter, keeping the size of the quantum geometry finite and fixed. Compared to the Euclidean case, the definition of a Lorentzian boundary state involves a new feature: the notion of past- and future-pointing intertwiners. The semiclassical correlation function is obtained for a time-oriented semiclassical boundary state.
13 pages
Regge gravity from spinfoams
Elena Magliaro, Claudio Perini
(Submitted on 1 May 2011)
We consider spinfoam quantum gravity in the double scaling limit γ → 0, j → ∞, with γj=const., where γ is the Immirzi parameter, j is the spin and γj gives the physical area in Planck units. We show how in this regime the partition function for a 2-complex takes the form of a path integral over continuous Regge metrics and enforces Einstein equations in the semiclassical regime. The Immirzi parameter must be considered as dynamical in the sense that it runs towards zero when the small wavelengths are integrated out. In addition to quantum corrections which vanish for h → 0, we find new corrections due to the discreteness of geometric spectra which is controlled by γ.
11 pages
Incidental information
I just noticed an interesting lineup of speakers at Princeton Institute for Advanced Study this spring.
Princeton has a regular High Energy Theory Seminar, which is sometimes held in the IAS Bloomberg Lecture Hall and sometimes in a seminar room at the PCTS (Princeton Center for Theoretical Science)
High Energy Theory Seminar - IAS - Andrew Strominger, Harvard University
Apr 9, 2012 · 2:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. · Bloomberg Lecture Hall
High Energy Theory Seminar - Erik Verlinde, University of Amsterdam - TBA
Apr 16, 2012 · 2:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. · PCTS Seminar Room
High Energy Theory Seminar - IAS - Carlo Rovelli, Aix-Marseille University, France - Loop quantum Gravity: Recent Results and Open Problems
Apr 23, 2012 · 2:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. · Bloomberg Lecture Hall
Description: The loop approach to quantum gravity has developed considerably during the last few years, especially in its covariant ('spinfoam') version. I present the current definition of the theory and the results that have been proven. I discuss what I think is still missing towards of the goal of defining a consistent tentative quantum field theory genuinely background independent and having general relativity as classical limit.
I checked out the IAS calendar and they have a neat thing planned for the 23rd April. From 12:30 to 1:30 they have a LUNCH DISCUSSION on Early Universe Cosmology.
Then an hour for leisurely reflection followed by Rovelli's talk at 2:30.
Nice menu planning...timing.
Feb9-12, 05:36 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Continuing to bring this thread on current LQG developments up to date, as I noted elsewhere there was (IMHO) an important January paper by Bee, Leonardo, and Isabeau which had this key conclusion paragraph.
Google "hossenfelder emission spectra" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.0412 [curious dark matter conjecture, idea for QG test]
4 Conclusion
We have derived here an approximate analytic expression for the emission spectrum of self-dual black holes in the mass and temperature limits valid for primordial black holes evaporating today. The idea that primordial black holes are dark matter candidates is appealing since it is very minimalistic and conservative, requiring no additional, so far unobserved, matter. This idea has therefore received a lot of attention in the literature. However, the final stages of the black hole evaporation seem to be amiss in observation, and so there is a need to explain why primordial black holes were not formed at initial masses that we would see evaporating today. The self-dual black holes we have studied here offer a natural explanation since they evaporate very slowly. The analysis we have presented here allows to calculate the particle flux from such dark matter constituted of self-dual black holes, and therefore is instrumental to test the viability of this hypothesis of dark matter constituted of self-dual black holes against data.
In short, the main (perhaps only) problem with tiny primordial BH as DM is that by conventional Hawking model temperature rises as the thing evaporates, going as mass inverse, so tiny BH are hot and evaporate too fast.
But rightly or not in the interesting mass range Modesto's Loop BH temperature goes down with mass. So in the very long run, the tiny BH could conceivably even come into equilibrium with the CMB or at any rate last a long time.
This gives a conservative (and testable!) way to account for Dark Matter. One does not need a new particle.
Testable because if the observed clouds of DM do indeed consist of these tiny Loopish BH then the clouds should have a characteristic radiation spectrum
I think it is not only this interesting and testable idea which is important, but also the
*minimalistic conservative* THEME which is underscored in the paper.
Figuring out how to explain stuff without imagining exotic unobserved particles/fields.
That's a desideratum to keep in mind when looking over current research. We may start seeing more of it. To me it's strongly represented in the Cai Easson paper which seems aimed at explaining inflation without the need for an inflaton field!
I talked about that in post #56:
What I want to do is try to use this *minimalistic conservative* THEME that comes out explicitly in Bee and Leonardo and Isabeau's paper, to try to organize how I view current research. What other recent papers bear out this trend? If it is a trend. How does research by other people (like Freidel, Bianchi, Dittrich...) fit into this picture, if it does?
Feb10-12, 02:38 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
I looked just now at the PERIMETER INSTITUTE colloquium schedule for Winter term 2012. Their winter term is Jan-April. Spring in Canada does not start until May.
I'll get the link
They don't have anything scheduled yet for April.
A couple of posts back I noted that Princeton IAS is having Rovelli give a colloquium talk on Loop gravity in April, paired with a discussion of Early Universe Cosmology earlier in the day.
Feb10-12, 06:47 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Some interesting recent developments in LQG.
A spin-foam vertex amplitude with the correct semiclassical limit
Jonathan Engle
(Submitted on 10 Jan 2012)
Spin-foam models are hoped to provide a dynamics for loop quantum gravity. All 4-d spin-foam models of gravity start from the Plebanski formulation, in which gravity is recovered from a topological field theory, BF theory, by the imposition of constraints, which, however, select not only the gravitational sector, but also unphysical sectors. We show that this is the root cause for terms beyond the required Feynman-prescribed exponential of i times the action in the semiclassical limit of the EPRL spin-foam vertex. By quantizing a condition isolating the gravitational sector, we modify the EPRL vertex, yielding what we call the proper EPRL vertex amplitude. This provides at last a vertex amplitude for loop quantum gravity with the correct semiclassical limit.
4 pages
see also Alesci Rovelli's proposal for new Hamiltonian:
Google "alesci rovelli hamiltonian arxiv" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1005.0817
and the Freidel Geiller Ziprick paper:
Google "freidel geiller ziprick" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1110.4833
More discussion here:
Feb11-12, 03:35 AM
Sci Advisor
In order not to confuse the reader:
A "proper vertex amplitude" to recover the correct semicalssical limit is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for the model to be "correct". Of course one must recover GR as low energy theory, but in the deep QG regime there may very well be a whole bunch of inequivalent theories with the same semiclassical limit.
This is the main reason why some people insist on
1) a completion of the canonical formulation (constructing a "correct" H) plus
2) a consistent quantization in terms of spin foams plus
3) a proof of equivalence of (1) and (2)
All three pathways are being investigated, but up to now neither completion of 1) or 2) nor convergence in the sense of 3) can be claimed.
@marcus: did you spent some time in looking into the 2011 Thiemann papers? There are some interesting aspects like going beyond dim=4 and incorporating SUSY.
Feb14-12, 03:00 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Another recent development. The cosmological constant Λ put into spinfoam cosmology and one gets a nontrivial solution to the Einstein equation out: de Sitter space.
It's kind of beautiful. The Friedmann equation with cosmo constant is derived from the Zakopane spinfoam amplitude (with Λ inserted). And this turns out to be compatible with the treatment where Lambda is a quantum group deformation parameter. Several things brought together in one paper.
Google "bianchi krajewski spinfoam cosmology" and get
Cosmological constant in spinfoam cosmology
Eugenio Bianchi, Thomas Krajewski, Carlo Rovelli, Francesca Vidotto
(Submitted on 20 Jan 2011)
We consider a simple modification of the amplitude defining the dynamics of loop quantum gravity, corresponding to the introduction of the cosmological constant, and possibly related to the SL(2,C)q extension of the theory recently considered by Fairbairn-Meusburger and Han. We show that in the context of spinfoam cosmology, this modification yields the de Sitter cosmological solution.
4 pages, 2 figures
for the treatment where Λ appears in quantum group, related to the q-deformation, see papers by Muxin Han and by Fairbairn Meusberger. It's fascinating that in that treatment one would expect that Λ running to large values (as in asym safe gravity) with high energy density corresponds to a decline in angular resolution---angles get fuzzy things are either in the same direction or they are not, lacking fine angular distinctions. It's intriguing.
But one does not have to deal with the quantum group idea of how Λ arises. One can simply insert it in the Zakopane spinfoam amplitude---or in the Friedmann equation---and treat it as a constant the way cosmologists customarily do.
this paper was a "sleeper". I'm not sure we recognized its importance back in the first quarter of 2011.
Feb15-12, 01:51 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Tom, raised an interesting point in the Shapo-Wetter thread, which this paper could serve as partially answering.
You can see from 1101.4049 equation (2) that in LQG the cosmological constant can indeed be treated as a "standard running coupling", as it is in the Asymptotic Safe approach.
And it can also be treated as a q-deformation of SL(2,C) as per Han, Meusberger, Fairbairn and others. The paper tentatively suggests the two ways of including Λ are "possibly related"!
Feb16-12, 06:26 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Since it may be possible to MERGE Asym Safe QG with Loop QG (and get something that works better than AS currently does at the cosmo singularity) I want to pay close attention to recent AS talks and papers. Here is the abstract for Frank Saueressig's 15 February video lecture:
Google "saueressig pirsa fractal" and get
Fractal Space-times Under the Microscope: a RG View on Monte Carlo Data
Frank Saueressig
The emergence of fractal features in the microscopic structure of space-time is a common theme in many approaches to quantum gravity. In particular the spectral dimension, which measures the return probability of a fictitious diffusion process on space-time, provides a valuable probe which is easily accessible both in the continuum functional renormalization group and discrete Monte Carlo simulations of the gravitational action. In this talk, I will give a detailed exposition of the fractal properties associated with the effective space-times of asymptotically safe Quantum Einstein Gravity (QEG). Comparing these continuum results to three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations, we demonstrate that the resulting spectral dimensions are in very good agreement. This comparison also provides a natural explanation for the apparent conflicts between the short distance behavior of the spectral dimension reported from Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT), Euclidean Dynamical Triangulations (EDT), and Asymptotic Safety.
Date: 15/02/2012 - 4:00 pm
and also recall the Bianchi et al paper from 2 posts back:
Google "bianchi krajewski spinfoam cosmology" and get
Cosmological constant in spinfoam cosmology
Eugenio Bianchi, Thomas Krajewski, Carlo Rovelli, Francesca Vidotto
(Submitted on 20 Jan 2011)
We consider a simple modification of the amplitude defining the dynamics of loop quantum gravity, corresponding to the introduction of the cosmological constant, and possibly related to the SL(2,C)q extension of the theory recently considered by Fairbairn-Meusburger and Han. We show that in the context of spinfoam cosmology, this modification yields the de Sitter cosmological solution.
4 pages, 2 figures
They derive the Friedman equation for deSitter space starting from the Zakopane dynamics equation with a λ term inserted for cosmo constant.
Feb18-12, 01:24 AM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Several interesting parallels between AsymSafe QG and Loop are appearing. One is an explanation of dark matter as clouds of small black holes. We see this from Modesto in the Loop case and from Easson in the Safe QG case. Modesto has been working on this for several years---I'll get a recent paper of his with Hossenfelder and you can check the references.
Google "modesto emission spectra" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.0412
Emission spectra of self-dual black holes
Sabine Hossenfelder, Leonardo Modesto, Isabeau Prémont-Schwarz
(Submitted on 2 Feb 2012)
We calculate the particle spectra of evaporating self-dual black holes that are potential dark matter candidates. We first estimate the relevant mass and temperature range and find that the masses are below the Planck mass, and the temperature of the black holes is small compared to their mass. In this limit, we then derive the number-density of the primary emission particles, and, by studying the wave-equation of a scalar field in the background metric of the black hole, show that we can use the low energy approximation for the greybody factors. We finally arrive at the expression for the spectrum of secondary particle emission from a dark matter halo constituted of self-dual black holes.
15 pages, 6 figures,
Small conventional BH don't last long since they get hotter as they lose mass and evaportion speeds up. By contrast, small Loop BH last a very long time since they get colder as they lose mass.
Curiously enough Easson has come up with a similar conclusion in the Safe QG case.
Google "easson safe black hole" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1007.1317
Black holes in an asymptotically safe gravity theory with higher derivatives
Yi-Fu Cai, Damien A. Easson
(Submitted on 8 Jul 2010)
We present a class of spherically symmetric vacuum solutions to an asymptotically safe theory of gravity containing high-derivative terms. We find quantum corrected Schwarzschild-(anti)-de Sitter solutions with running gravitational coupling parameters. The evolution of the couplings is determined by their corresponding renormalization group flow equations. These black holes exhibit properties of a classical Schwarzschild solution at large length scales. At the center, the metric factor remains smooth but the curvature singularity, while softened by the quantum corrections, persists. The solutions have an outer event horizon and an inner Cauchy horizon which equate when the physical mass decreases to a critical value. Super-extremal solutions with masses below the critical value correspond to naked singularities. The Hawking temperature of the black hole vanishes when the physical mass reaches the critical value. Hence, the black holes in the asymptotically safe gravitational theory never completely evaporate. For appropriate values of the parameters such stable black hole remnants make excellent dark matter candidates.
22 pages, 3 figures; version to appear in JCAP
==links to some recent papers==
New Hamiltonian:
Google "arxiv alesci rovelli hamiltonian" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1005.0817
Intro, Survey, Tutorial, Open Problems for Research:
Google "ashtekar introduction 2012" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1201.4598
Google "rovelli zakopane" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1102.3660
Cosmological Constant:
Google "bianchi cosmic constant spinfoam" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1101.4049
Google "pawlowski cosmic constant" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.0360
Loop Classical Gravity--the right version of GR to quantize:
Google "freidel geiller ziprick" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1110.4833
Google "jonathan ziprick pirsa" and get http://pirsa.org/12020096
Small black holes and dark matter:
Google "modesto emission spectra" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.0412
Google "easson safe black hole" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1007.1317
Google "freidel speziale BF" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1201.4247 [ways to get GR from BF]
Google "wise symmetry gravity" and get http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.2390 [different approach to hamiltonian]
Feb20-12, 07:51 AM
Thanks marcus for the recent overview and thanks tom for the very interesting discussion.
Like Tom, I also have some trouble with LQG. Especially I think some of the problems came form the lack of understanding the 'local-global' problems (or sometimes mix them).
But no one considers the relation (and the special features) between 3 and 4 dimensions.
After the breakthrough of Perelman, we know that the relation between homogenous gemetries in 3 dimensions and 3-manifold topology is very close.
A general 3-manifold consist of a mix of 8 possible gemetries (related to the Bianchi model I to IX). This close relation is the reason that the Einstein-Hilbert action in 3 dimensions is a topological invaraint (Chern-Simons invaraint).
The situation changes dramatically in 4 dimensions. The relation between geometry and topology is lost but there is a new one between the smoothness structure (the maximal smooth atlas) and the topology.
This new relation is essential for the understanding of the dynamics: the sum over 3-geometries will automatically lead to the inclusion of pathes like:
spherical 3-geometry -> hyperbolic 3-geometry -> spherical 3-geometry
The corresponding 4-manifold can have the topology [math]S^3\times R[/math] but an exotic smoothness structure (I considered this case in http://arxiv.org/abs/1201.3787 )
This fact has also an impact on spin foam models. Usually one try to relate thise models to a triangulation of the 4-manifold. But smoothness structures and piecewise-linear structures (as a kind of triangulations) are equivalent.
Therefore oen has something like an exotic triangulation.
To address these questions, one has to consider the class of topspin models (Marcolli, Dustopn et. al.) using branched coverings. In this approach one sees the problem:
every 3-manifold can be obtained by a 3-fold covering of the 3-sphere branched along a 1-dimensional complex, a knot or link, and
every 4-manifold can be obtained by a 4-fold covering of the 4-sphere branched along a 2-dimensional complex, a surface, but the surface contains 2 singularities: the cusp and the fold.
The appearance of cusp singularities was already discussed in the spin foam literature as conical singularities.
I agree with marcus and tom, that the Alesci/Rovelli hamiltonian is a real breakthrough, it considers a more global change of spacetime.
So again thanks for the overview, I will go more deep into these new papers.
Feb20-12, 04:47 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Hi Torsten!
You could give some general words on what you expect first and foremost from a QG theory, to provide a context.
For me the basic requirement is a clear testable one that reproduces classical geometry (where applicable) and resolves the cosmo singularity.
That's what I want from QG first and foremost, and then if there are several QG theories successful in this basic way then I will ask which one follows Dirac quantization plan most transparently, which one has both hamiltonian and path integral versions most clearly equivalent and so on.
Because if you have more than one theory that works, these niceties can be useful in selecting from among them.
But right now i do not see a multitude of QG theories that meet the basic requirements.
As for Loop, I see steady progress, a growing understanding of how to set up the classical phase space, quantize it, and get a hamiltonian version, mounting evidence that classical GR is recovered, that the cosmological singularity is resolved, and that it is testable. Numerous papers on all these fronts.
So I *expect* a hamiltonian version to be constructed that will be equivalent to the Zako spinfoam version or whatever it has evolved into by that time. The present formulation is remarkably clear and simple so it is hard to imagine how it could change, but it could of course.
But my basic desiderata are not that (unless there are several equally good theories to choose from). My requirements, as I said, are a clearly formulated testable theory which reproduces classical GR where valid and can model the start of expansion---forming the basis for cosmology.
I'm curious about what you would say instead of this. You are actively engaged in your own QG program. You must have some basic goals, primary objectives. You may have summed up your philosophy in one or more of your papers and can just give a page/paragraph reference or paste something in here. Or maybe it is something you can say informally in just a few words.
Feb21-12, 01:05 AM
Sci Advisor
Here I have one central question: what is the fundamental structure of (L)QG:
1) PL or smooth manifolds with diffeomorphisms factored away - resuting in triangulations?
2) generic spin networks?
Not all generic spin networks are dual to some triangulation (of a manifold), and therefore there are spin networks for which no triangulation of a manifold does exist (at least the dimension of the manifold can be rather large).
My impression is that the SF models rely in some sense on some fundamental structures of the underlying 4-manifold, whereas the generic spin networks do have no such limitations. It's interesting that spin networks arise from manifolds with rather severe restrictions (3-space foliations of globally hyperbolic 4-manifolds, local diffeomorphisms, i.e. no singularites) but that once the construction is completed they seem to be agnostic regarding these restrictions.
So spin networks are a much richer structure than triangulations.
Feb21-12, 11:02 AM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
Interesting comments, Tom, I hope Torsten will discuss some of your questions. About your central question you know there are different formulations, and some do use 3D and 4D manifolds. "Do we have to?" It seems not since not every formulation of the theory does. The version I am most familiar with does not have these structures embedded. It uses both spin networks and spinfoams but they are not immersed in any continuum.
You are totally correct that "not all generic spin networks" are dual to triangulations! For one thing a spin network is not restricted to having just 4-valent nodes (which would correspond to tetrahedra in the dual). It's normal to have nodes with valence > 4 corresponding (fuzzily, indefinitely) to many-sided polyhedral chunks of space.
Feb21-12, 01:51 PM
Sci Advisor
marcus, there may very well be n-valent nodes which do not correspond to triangulations but which may describe Voronoi-cell-like structures; but I think that not even this structure need always be sufficient. I am afraid that an arbitrary graph need not comply with any cell-like structure embedded in low-dimensional manifolds.
Feb21-12, 02:26 PM
Sci Advisor
PF Gold
I was responding to your talking about triangulations. The overwhelming majority of graphs, of any given size, are NOT dual to a triangulation. So I wanted to agree with emphasis!
I think you can probably extend that to a division of a 3D manifold into 3D cells which are NOT simplices. Is this the kind of thing you mean? Most graphs would not be dual to that sort of structure either. Or so I believe (haven't thought about it.)
I was puzzled by your saying you are afraid such and such might not be so. Don't see why it matters.
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