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We will study how General Relativity (GR) is similar to and especially how it differs from other gauge theories. This will explain why, from a structural perspective, it is much harder to quantize GR than other theories without relying on any specific approach to quantization. To achieve this goal, we will introduce the so-called “Covariant Phase Space Method” and use to study in detail the symmetry structure of GR and how it is intimately related to its dynamics. Along the way we will touch on (parts of) the historical debate on whether gravity should be quantized at all, discuss how to think of time evolution when there is no absolute time, and go through Wald’s proposal of black hole entropy as a Noether charge.

Cosmology is at a crossroad. Are the rising observational tensions harbingers of doom for our beloved LCDM paradigm? Is the young field of gravitational wave astronomy about to revolutionize our understanding of black holes, and their cosmic dynamics? What is the best explanation of the early universe? What are the most exciting new ideas? This annual workshop brings together leaders from our three institutes and beyond to address these questions, and plan a roadmap to advance the cosmological frontiers of fundamental physics.

Past editions:
2025 - hosted by APC
2024 - hosted by University of Edinburgh

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Speakers

Asimina Arvanitaki (Perimeter Institute)
Job Feldbrugge (University of Edinburgh)
Ben Freivogel (University of Amsterdam)
Akshay Anant Ghalsasi (Harvard University)
Yonatan Kahn (University of Toronto)
Alex Krolewski (University of Waterloo)
Alessandro Longo (APC)
Sizheng Ma (Perimeter Institute)
Roberto Maiolino (Cambridge University)
Laurence Perreault-Levasseur (Université de Montréal)
Rashmish Mishra (Harvard University)
Mykhaylo Usatyuk (University of California, Santa Barbara)
Cumrun Vafa (Harvard University)
Zach Weiner (Perimeter Institute)
Yazaman Yazdi (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies)
Hanyu Zhang (University of Waterloo)

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Scientific Organizer Committee

Niayesh Afshordi
Ghazal Geshnizjani
Neal Dalal
Will Percival
Carlos Wagner

Elias Kritsis
Luca Santoni
Francesco Nitti
Martin Bucher

Latham Boyle
Alkistis Pourtsidou 

We look to understand the possibilities and limits of quantum information processing, and how an information theory perspective can inform theoretical physics. Topics covered include: entanglement, tools for measuring nearness of quantum states, characterizing the most general possible quantum operations, entropy and measuring information, the stabilizer formalism, quantum error-correcting codes, the theory of computation, quantum algorithms, classical and quantum complexity.

This course in Cosmology provides a theoretical overview of the standard cosmological model. Key topics include the FRW metric and the homogeneous universe, the thermal history of the universe, inflation and scalar field dynamics, along with selected aspects of cosmological perturbation theory time permitting.

This course introduces Scientific Machine Learning, beginning with an overview of traditional and modern machine learning methods illustrated with examples from physics. It then transitions to physics-informed approaches, where physical laws, symmetries, and mechanistic models are embedded into learning frameworks. Tutorials and assignments will emphasize developing programming skills in Python.

This course will introduce some advanced topics in general relativity related to describing gravity in the strong field and dynamical regime. Topics covered include properties of spinning black holes, black hole thermodynamics and energy extraction, how to define horizons in a dynamical setting, formulations of the Einstein equations as constraint and evolution equations, and gravitational waves and how they are sourced.

This course will be an introduction to world-sheet and space-time aspects of topological strings. Topics that will be discussed include: the world-sheet formulation of both the A and B model topological strings, axiomatics of topological string theories, categories of branes, string field theory, the relation to the physical string; and dualities.

We will study topics in theoretical physics through the lens of differential geometry and algebraic topology. The topics will be chosen among the following: differential forms on manifolds, homology, homotopy, de Rham cohomology, gauge theory and principal fiber bundles, nonperturbative effects and topology, characteristic classes, basics of solitons (ex: why is the instanton number a number?), index theorems, introduction to anomalies.

This course will explain why textbook quantum “theory” is merely a mathematical recipe rather than a proper physical theory. It will then cover the most serious obstacles to fixing this problem and to providing a clear metaphysics underpinning the mathematics of quantum theory. We will focus on key no-go theorems (e.g., Bell’s theorem, contextuality theorems, and Extended Wigner’s friend arguments), as well as on key frameworks (e.g., generalized probabilistic theories and ontological models).