Atticus Rare Books

Quantum Theory of Gravity. I. The Canonical Theory in Physical Review 160 No. 5, 25 August 1967, pp. 1113-1148 [WHEELER DEWITT EQUATION; COSMIC SCHRODINGER EQUATION]

DeWitt, Bryce

Lancaster: American Physical Society, 1967. 1st Edition. FIRST EDITION of Bryce DeWitt’s first paper on quantum gravity, including the introduction of both the Wheeler-DeWitt equation and canonical quantum gravity. "Quantum gravity attempts to unify quantum mechanics (which describes the behavior of electromagnetism, the weak interaction and the strong interaction) with general relativity (the theory of gravity)" (Wenner Collection).

NOTE that we separately offer the 1st ed. in original wraps of all three parts of Bryce DeWitt’s paper on quantum gravity, including the introduction of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. In this work, DeWitt, known as the father of quantum gravity, formed important calculations on quantum gravity highly controversial and important to modern theoretical physics. The Wheeler-DeWitt “equation expresses the expectation that the total energy of a closed universe vanishes” (Liebscher, Cosmology, 269). It is a “cosmic Schrodinger equation” that describes the whole universe - both atoms and galaxies - in a unified manner. Although controversial, the equation does in fact unify deep properties of both quantum theory and general relativity.

“The Wheeler–DeWitt equation is a functional differential equation on the space of three dimensional spatial metrics. It is ill defined in the general case, but very important in theoretical physics, especially in quantum gravity. The equation has the form of an operator acting on a wave functional, the functional reduces to a function in cosmology. Contrary to the general case, the Wheeler–DeWitt equation is well defined in mini-superspaces like the configuration space of cosmological theories” (Wikipedia). Item #366

CONDITION & DETAILS: Lancaster: The American Physical Society. Vol. 160, Number 5, 25 August 1967, pp. 1113-1148 (DeWitt paper). Full volume pp. 719-1611. Fully indexed. Additionally, there are 36 pages of separately culled abstracts. Ex-libris bearing only a small stamps on the front & rear flypapers & text block. There are no spine markings. 4to (10.5 x 8 inches; 263 x 200mm). Bound in pristine brown buckram, gilt-lettered at the spine. Near fine condition inside and out.

Price: $400.00