Foundational principles of quantum gravity

Identify and formulate the basic principles that govern a complete non-perturbative theory of quantum gravity, beyond semiclassical approximations, so as to enable a full foundational formulation of the theory.

Background

While the authors argue that quantum field theory’s non-perturbative formulation is an open mathematical problem, they stress that the barrier to a complete formulation of quantum gravity is more fundamental: a lack of known guiding principles.

This highlights a conceptual and foundational gap: even with tools like holography, the underlying axioms or principles for a full quantum gravity theory remain unidentified.