The role of space-time structure in effective theory and cosmology

Quantum gravity generally gives rise to a fundamental space-time structure different from the classical continuum picture. This is incorporated in the form of states representing quantum geometry. Effective equations derived to evaluate the quantum theory by including quantum corrections in the classical equations must take the general form of quantum states, reflecting space-time structure, into account. Unlike low energy effective actions, proper effective equations of canonical quantum gravity show effects whose magnitude can be much larger than expected on dimensional grounds.