  The loop representation plays an important role in canonical quantum gravity
because loop variables allow a natural treatment of the constraints. In these
lectures we give an elementary introduction to (i) the relevant history of
loops in knot theory and gauge theory, (ii) the loop representation of Maxwell
theory, and (iii) the loop representation of canonical quantum gravity. (Based
on lectures given at the 117. Heraeus Seminar, Bad Honnef, Sept. 1993)
