The sum over topologies in three-dimensional Euclidean quantum gravity

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Publication:4032949




Abstract: In Hawking's Euclidean path integral approach to quantum gravity, the partition function is computed by summing contributions from all possible topologies. The behavior such a sum can be estimated in three spacetime dimensions in the limit of small cosmological constant. The sum over topologies diverges for either sign of Lambda, but for dramatically different reasons: for Lambda>0, the divergent behavior comes from the contributions of very low volume, topologically complex manifolds, while for Lambda<0 it is a consequence of the existence of infinite sequences of relatively high volume manifolds with converging geometries. Possible implications for four-dimensional quantum gravity are discussed.




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