We propose uncertainty relations for the different coordinates of spacetime
events, motivated by Heisenberg's principle and by Einstein's theory of
classical gravity. A model of Quantum Spacetime is then discussed where the
commutation relations exactly implement our uncertainty relations.
We outline the definition of free fields and interactions over QST and take
the first steps to adapting the usual perturbation theory. The quantum nature
of the underlying spacetime replaces a local interaction by a specific nonlocal
effective interaction in the ordinary Minkowski space. A detailed study of
interacting QFT and of the smoothing of ultraviolet divergences is deferred to
a subsequent paper.
In the classical limit where the Planck length goes to zero, our Quantum
Spacetime reduces to the ordinary Minkowski space times a two component space
whose components are homeomorphic to the tangent bundle TS^2 of the 2-sphere.
The relations with Connes' theory of the standard model will be studied
elsewhere.Comment: TeX, 37 pages. Since recent and forthcoming articles (hep-th/0105251,
hep-th/0201222, hep-th/0301100) are based on this paper, we thought it would
be convenient for the readers to have it available on the we