Relativity Reframed: Quantum Reference Frames and Gravity
This Perimeter Institute conference brings together researchers studying quantum reference frames, quantum gravity, quantum foundations and related experiments. Topics include relational observables, quantum information in dynamical spacetime, locality, causality, entanglement, and the operational meaning of observers and subsystems. The meeting runs from 26 to 30 October 2026 in Waterloo, Canada. Registration is currently open, and the organizer provides information for virtual participation.
Canonical Quantization of Singular Configuration Spaces: Symmetry Reduction, Mass Gap Bounds, and Non-smooth Calculus
Luca Mrini presents work in progress on quantising singular configuration spaces using the non-smooth calculus of metric-measure spaces. The framework generalises smooth quantum mechanics through Hilbert spaces, position and momentum operators, Hamiltonians, unitary dynamics, and observable algebras. A method for bounding mass gaps after symplectic reduction uses the curvature of the unreduced configuration space. Examples include the harmonic oscillator constrained to zero angular momentum, lattice Yang–Mills theory, and fractional-dimensional Laakso spaces. The talk closes with prospective applications to the Yang–Mills mass-gap problem and quantum gravity.