Repository logo
 

Missing the point in noncommutative geometry.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Huggett, Nick 
Lizzi, Fedele 

Abstract

Noncommutative geometries generalize standard smooth geometries, parametrizing the noncommutativity of dimensions with a fundamental quantity with the dimensions of area. The question arises then of whether the concept of a region smaller than the scale-and ultimately the concept of a point-makes sense in such a theory. We argue that it does not, in two interrelated ways. In the context of Connes' spectral triple approach, we show that arbitrarily small regions are not definable in the formal sense. While in the scalar field Moyal-Weyl approach, we show that they cannot be given an operational definition. We conclude that points do not exist in such geometries. We therefore investigate (a) the metaphysics of such a geometry, and (b) how the appearance of smooth manifold might be recovered as an approximation to a fundamental noncommutative geometry.

Description

Funder: John Templeton Foundation; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000925


Funder: American Council of Learned Societies; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000962


Funder: Institute of Philosophy, University of London

Keywords

Emergent spacetime, Noncommutative geometry, Quantum field theory

Journal Title

Synthese

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0039-7857
1573-0964

Volume Title

199

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
MINECO (MDM-2014-0369)