Euclidean and Lorentzian quantum gravity -- lessons from two dimensions

DOI10.1016/S0960-0779(98)00197-0MaRDI QIDQ1609999zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors J. L. Nielsen, J. Rolf, Jan Ambjørn, Renate Loll

Publication date 18 August 2002

Published in Chaos, Solitons and Fractals (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/9806241

zbMATH Keywords

path integralquantum gravitytopology changestwo dimensions

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Quantization of the gravitational field (83C45) Analogues of general relativity in lower dimensions (83C80)

Abstract: No theory of four-dimensional quantum gravity exists as yet. In this situation the two-dimensional theory, which can be analyzed by conventional field-theoretical methods, can serve as a toy model for studying some aspects of quantum gravity. It represents one of the rare settings in a quantum-gravitational context where one can calculate quantities truly independent of any background geometry. We review recent progress in our understanding of 2d quantum gravity, and in particular the relation between the Euclidean and Lorentzian sectors of the quantum theory. We show that conventional 2d Euclidean quantum gravity can be obtained from Lorentzian quantum gravity by an analytic continuation only if we allow for spatial topology changes in the latter. Once this is done, one obtains a theory of quantum gravity where space-time is fractal: the intrinsic Hausdorff dimension of usual 2d Euclidean quantum gravity is four, and not two. However, certain aspects of quantum space-time remain two-dimensional, exemplified by the fact that its so-called spectral dimension is equal to two.

Review text

In this article some recent progress in understanding of two-dimensional quantum gravity is reviewed. In particular, the relation between the Euclidean and Lorentzian sectors of the quantum theory are discussed. It is shown that it is indeed possible to formulate a background-independent theory of quantum gravity and still maintain some analogues of concepts from classical gravity. This holds true at least in the case of one-plus-one dimensional gravity. The authors show that the generic two-dimensional geometry is fractal with intrinsic Hausdorff dimension four. They conclude that this situation is reminiscent of the random walk representation for a free particle. The authors also discuss the relation between Euclidean quantum gravity, defined via a non-pertubative path integral, and a similar construction in the Lorentzian case. In the latter case they obtain a continuum limit different from that of Euclidean quantum gravity. The authors conclude that this difference can be traced to the presence or absence of topology changes of space. In fact, it is shown that an agreement with the theory of Euclidean quantum gravity can only be obtained when spatial topology changes are allowed.

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Cites work

• Non-perturbative Lorentzian quantum gravity, causality and topology change
• On the fractal structure of two-dimensional quantum gravity
• Quantum gravity and random surfaces
• Scaling in quantum gravity
• The spectral dimension of \(2\)D quantum gravity

Cited in

(19)

• A noncommutative view on topology and order
• Non-perturbative Lorentzian quantum gravity, causality and topology change
• Integrable 2D Lorentzian gravity and random walks
• Compact gauge fields on causal dynamical triangulations: a 2D case study
• From Lorentzian to Galilean (2+1) gravity: Drinfelʼd doubles, quantization and noncommutative spacetimes
• Sum over topologies and double-scaling limit in 2D Lorentzian quantum gravity
• Making the gravitational path integral more Lorentzian or life beyond Liouville gravity
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1971788 (Why is no real title available?)
• Putting a cap on causality violations in causal dynamical triangulations
• Action and observer dependence in Euclidean quantum gravity
• Quantum gravity from causal dynamical triangulations: a review
• A toy model of discretized gravity in two dimensions and its extensions
• The relation between Euclidean and Lorentzian 2D quantum gravity
• Eleven-dimensional supergravity as a constrained topological field theory
• The strong and weak holographic principles
• Dynamically triangulating Lorentzian quantum gravity
• Critical JT gravity
• The emergence of background geometry from quantum fluctuations
• Gaps in the spectrum of the Laplacian on \(3N\)-gaskets

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