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Gauge field theories and the equivalence principle. (English) Zbl 0535.53057

Differential geometric methods in theoretical physics, Conf. Trieste 1981, 187-200 (1983).
[For the entire collection see Zbl 0511.00022.]
Following the works of Utiyama, Kibble and Sciama, it is often emphasized that general relativity can be based on a gauge principle, a fact which makes gravity theory similar to gauge theories of the Yang-Mills type. One of my purposes here is to reverse this emphasis, by showing that the theory of interacting gravitational and Yang-Mills fields originates from general relativity on a suitably ”extended” spacetime. Thus, as it happens with ordinary general relativity, also Yang-Mills gauge theories can be based on an equivalence principle, whereby the fundamental geometric origin of gauge theories becomes manifest.

MSC:

53C80 Applications of global differential geometry to the sciences
83D05 Relativistic gravitational theories other than Einstein’s, including asymmetric field theories
83E15 Kaluza-Klein and other higher-dimensional theories
83C99 General relativity

Citations:

Zbl 0511.00022