- #1
touqra
- 287
- 0
Is there a possibility that general covariance be an approximation or violated ?
Last edited by a moderator:
touqra said:Is there a possibility that general covariance be an approximation or violated ?
touqra said:Is there a possibility that general covariance be an approximation or violated ?
meopemuk said:Yes.
jimgraber said:... On the other hand, active gauge invariance and background independence are claimed to be physically meaningful and hence able to be experimentally violated. But IIRC, Smolin and Polchinski could not agree on the meaning of background independence...
The concept of general covariance is often misunderstood and leads to this commonly asked question. In short, general covariance is a principle in physics that states that the laws of physics should be written in a way that is independent of the choice of coordinates or reference frame. This means that the form of the laws should not change under a change of coordinates. Therefore, general covariance is not an approximation, but rather a fundamental principle that is expected to hold true in all physical theories.
General covariance is a key principle in the theory of relativity, specifically in general relativity. In this theory, the laws of physics are expressed in a covariant form, meaning that they are written in a way that is independent of the frame of reference. This allows for the laws to hold true regardless of the observer's perspective. In other words, general covariance is a necessary aspect of general relativity and is crucial in understanding the theory.
There is ongoing debate in the scientific community about whether or not general covariance can be violated. Some theories, such as string theory, suggest that general covariance may not hold at the most fundamental level. However, there is currently no evidence to support this and many physicists argue that general covariance is a fundamental principle that cannot be violated.
If general covariance were to be violated, it would have significant implications for our understanding of the laws of physics. This would indicate that the laws of physics are not universally applicable and may change depending on the choice of coordinates or reference frame. It would also suggest that our current theories, such as general relativity, may not be accurate descriptions of the universe.
General covariance is a fundamental principle that is expected to hold true in all physical theories. As such, it is not directly tested in experiments. However, the predictions made by theories that adhere to general covariance, such as general relativity, have been extensively tested and found to be in agreement with experimental results. This serves as indirect evidence for the validity of general covariance in physical theories.