arXiv subjects

Edward Witten

Publications and source records attributed to Edward Witten.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Supermoduli Space Is Not Projected

We prove that for genus greater than or equal to 5, the moduli space of super Riemann surfaces is not projected (and in particular is not split): it cannot be holomorphically projected to its underlying reduced manifold. Physically, this means that certain approaches to superstring perturbation theory that are very powerful in low orders have no close analog in higher orders. Mathematically, it means that the moduli space of super Riemann surfaces cannot be constructed in an elementary way starting with the moduli space of ordinary Riemann surfaces. It has a life of its own.

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arXiv2023

Algebras and States in JT Gravity

We analyze the algebra of boundary observables in canonically quantised JT gravity with or without matter. In the absence of matter, this algebra is commutative, generated by the ADM Hamiltonian. After coupling to a bulk quantum field theory, it becomes a highly noncommutative algebra of Type II$_\infty$ with a trivial center. As a result, density matrices and entropies on the boundary algebra are uniquely defined up to, respectively, a rescaling or shift. We show that this algebraic definition of entropy agrees with the usual replica trick definition computed using Euclidean path integrals. Unlike in previous arguments that focused on $\mathcal{O}(1)$ fluctuations to a black hole of specified mass, this Type II$_\infty$ algebra describes states at all temperatures or energies. We also consider the role of spacetime wormholes. One can try to define operators associated with wormholes that commute with the boundary algebra, but this fails in an instructive way. In a regulated version of the theory, wormholes and topology change can be incorporated perturbatively. The bulk Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}_\mathrm{bulk}$ that includes baby universe states is then much bigger than the space of states $\mathcal{H}_\mathrm{bdry}$ accessible to a boundary observer. However, to a boundary observer, every pure or mixed state on $\mathcal{H}_\mathrm{bulk}$ is equivalent to some pure state in $\mathcal{H}_\mathrm{bdry}$.

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arXiv2023

A Note On Boundary Conditions In Euclidean Gravity

We review what is known about boundary conditions in General Relativity on a spacetime of Euclidean signature. The obvious Dirichlet boundary condition, in which one specifies the boundary geometry, is actually not elliptic and in general does not lead to a well-defined perturbation theory. It is better-behaved if the extrinsic curvature of the boundary is suitably constrained, for instance if it is positive- or negative-definite. A different boundary condition, in which one specifies the conformal geometry of the boundary and the trace of the extrinsic curvature, is elliptic and always leads formally to a satisfactory perturbation theory. These facts might have interesting implications for semiclassical approaches to quantum gravity. (Submitted to a volume in honor of Roman Jackiw.)

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arXiv2023

Light Rays, Singularities, and All That

This article is an introduction to causal properties of General Relativity. Topics include the Raychaudhuri equation, singularity theorems of Penrose and Hawking, the black hole area theorem, topological censorship, and the Gao-Wald theorem. The article is based on lectures at the 2018 summer program Prospects in Theoretical Physics that was held at the IAS as well as the New Zealand Mathematical Research Institute summer school held in Nelson in January, 2020.

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arXiv2023

An Algebra of Observables for de Sitter Space

We describe an algebra of observables for a static patch in de Sitter space, with operators gravitationally dressed to the worldline of an observer. The algebra is a von Neumann algebra of Type II$_1$. There is a natural notion of entropy for a state of such an algebra. There is a maximum entropy state, which corresponds to empty de Sitter space, and the entropy of any semiclassical state of the Type II$_1$ algebras agrees, up to an additive constant independent of the state, with the expected generalized entropy $S_{\text{gen}}=(A/4G_N)+S_{\text{out}}$. An arbitrary additive constant is present because of the renormalization that is involved in defining entropy for a Type II$_1$ algebra.

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arXiv2023

A Note On The Canonical Formalism for Gravity

We describe a simple gauge-fixing that leads to a construction of a quantum Hilbert space for quantum gravity in an asymptotically Anti de Sitter spacetime, valid to all orders of perturbation theory. The construction is motivated by a relationship of the phase space of gravity in asymptotically Anti de Sitter spacetime to a cotangent bundle. We describe what is known about this relationship and some extensions that might plausibly be true. A key fact is that, under certain conditions, the Einstein Hamiltonian constraint equation can be viewed as a way to gauge fix the group of conformal rescalings of the metric of a Cauchy hypersurface. An analog of the procedure that we follow for Anti de Sitter gravity leads to standard results for a Klein-Gordon particle.

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arXiv2023

Anomalies and Nonsupersymmetric D-Branes

We revisit some aspects of D-brane theory from the point of view of anomalies. When the boundary condition on a worldsheet boson is flipped from Neumann to Dirichlet, worldsheet supersymmetry requires also reversing the sign of the boundary condition of the corresponding worldsheet fermion. This induces an anomaly which is a mod 2 anomaly in Type II superstring theory and a mod 8 anomaly in Type I superstring theory. The same anomaly also receives contributions from a sign in the sum over bulk spin structures (in Type IIA superstring theory), Chan-Paton factors of symplectic type (in Type I superstring theory), and Majorana fermions that propagate only on the worldsheet boundary. The need to cancel the anomaly accounts for many properties of supersymmetric and especially nonsupersymmetric D-branes in Type I and Type II superstring theory.

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arXiv2023

Algebras, Regions, and Observers

In ordinary quantum field theory, one can define the algebra of observables in a given region in spacetime, but in the presence of gravity, it is expected that this notion ceases to be well-defined. A substitute that appears to make sense in the presence of gravity and that also is more operationally meaningful is to consider the algebra of observables along the timelike worldline of an observer. It is known that such an algebra can be defined in quantum field theory, and the timelike tube theorem of quantum field theory suggests that such an algebra is a good substitute for what in the absence of gravity is the algebra of a region. The static patch in de Sitter space is a concrete example in which it is useful to think in these terms and to explicitly incorporate an observer in the description.

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arXiv2023

The Timelike Tube Theorem in Curved Spacetime

The timelike tube theorem asserts that in quantum field theory without gravity, the algebra of observables in an open set U is the same as the corresponding algebra of observables in its ``timelike envelope'' E(U), which is an open set that is in general larger. The theorem was originally proved in the 1960's by Borchers and Araki for quantum fields in Minkowski space. Here we sketch the proof of a version of the theorem for quantum fields in a general real analytic spacetime. Details have appeared elsewhere.

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arXiv2022

Large N algebras and generalized entropy

We construct a Type II$_\infty$ von Neumann algebra that describes the large $N$ physics of single-trace operators in AdS/CFT in the microcanonical ensemble, where there is no need to include perturbative $1/N$ corrections. Using only the extrapolate dictionary, we show that the entropy of semiclassical states on this algebra is holographically dual to the generalized entropy of the black hole bifurcation surface. From a boundary perspective, this constitutes a derivation of a special case of the QES prescription without any use of Euclidean gravity or replicas; from a purely bulk perspective, it is a derivation of the quantum-corrected Bekenstein-Hawking formula as the entropy of an explicit algebra in the $G \to 0$ limit of Lorentzian effective field theory quantum gravity. In a limit where a black hole is first allowed to equilibrate and then is later potentially re-excited, we show that the generalized second law is a direct consequence of the monotonicity of the entropy of algebras under trace-preserving inclusions. Finally, by considering excitations that are separated by more than a scrambling time we construct a "free product" von Neumann algebra that describes the semiclassical physics of long wormholes supported by shocks. We compute Rényi entropies for this algebra and show that they are equal to a sum over saddles associated to quantum extremal surfaces in the wormhole. Surprisingly, however, the saddles associated to "bulge" quantum extremal surfaces contribute with a negative sign.

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arXiv2022

Gravity and the Crossed Product

Recently Leutheusser and Liu [1,2] identified an emergent algebra of Type III$_1$ in the operator algebra of ${\mathcal N}=4$ super Yang-Mills theory for large $N$. Here we describe some $1/N$ corrections to this picture and show that the emergent Type III$_1$ algebra becomes an algebra of Type II$_\infty$. The Type II$_\infty$ algebra is the crossed product of the Type III$_1$ algebra by its modular automorphism group. In the context of the emergent Type II$_\infty$ algebra, the entropy of a black hole state is well-defined up to an additive constant, independent of the state. This is somewhat analogous to entropy in classical physics.

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arXiv2022

Gauge Theory and the Analytic Form of the Geometric Langlands Program

We present a gauge-theoretic interpretation of the "analytic" version of the geometric Langlands program, in which Hitchin Hamiltonians and Hecke operators are viewed as concrete operators acting on a Hilbert space of quantum states. The gauge theory ingredients required to understand this construction -- such as electric-magnetic duality between Wilson and 't Hooft line operators in four-dimensional gauge theory -- are the same ones that enter in understanding via gauge theory the more familiar formulation of geometric Langlands, but now these ingredients are organized and applied in a novel fashion.

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arXiv2022

Why Does Quantum Field Theory In Curved Spacetime Make Sense? And What Happens To The Algebra of Observables In The Thermodynamic Limit?

This article aims to explain some of the basic facts about the questions raised in the title, without the technical details that are available in the literature. We provide a gentle introduction to some rather classical results about quantum field theory in curved spacetime and about the thermodynamic limit of quantum statistical mechanics. We also briefly explain that these results have an analog in the large N limit of gauge theory.

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arXiv2022

No Ensemble Averaging Below the Black Hole Threshold

In the AdS/CFT correspondence, amplitudes associated to connected bulk manifolds with disconnected boundaries have presented a longstanding mystery. A possible interpretation is that they reflect the effects of averaging over an ensemble of boundary theories. But in examples in dimension $D\geq 3$, an appropriate ensemble of boundary theories does not exist. Here we sharpen the puzzle by identifying a class of "sub-threshold" observables that we claim do not show effects of ensemble averaging. These are amplitudes that do not involve black hole states. To support our claim, we explore the example of $D=3$, and show that connected solutions of Einstein's equations with disconnected boundary never contribute to sub-threshold observables. To demonstrate this requires some novel results about the renormalized volume of a hyperbolic three-manifold, which we prove using modern methods in hyperbolic geometry. Why then do any observables show apparent ensemble averaging? We propose that this reflects the chaotic nature of black hole physics and the fact that the Hilbert space describing a black hole does not have a large $N$ limit.

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arXiv2022

A Note On Complex Spacetime Metrics

For various reasons, it seems necessary to include complex saddle points in the "Euclidean" path integral of General Relativity. But some sort of restriction on the allowed complex saddle points is needed to avoid various unphysical examples. In this article, a speculative proposal is made concerning a possible restriction on the allowed saddle points in the gravitational path integral. The proposal is motivated by recent work of Kontsevich and Segal on complex metrics in quantum field theory, and earlier work of Louko and Sorkin on topology change from a real time point of view.

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arXiv2022

A note on continuous entropy

Von Neumann entropy has a natural extension to the case of an arbitrary semifinite von Neumann algebra, as was considered by I. E. Segal. We relate this entropy to the relative entropy and show that the entropy increase for an inclusion of von Neumann factors is bounded by the logarithm of the Jones index. The bound is optimal if the factors are infinite dimensional.

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arXiv2021

On the black hole/string transition

We discuss aspects of the possible transition between small black holes and highly excited fundamental strings. We focus on the connection between black holes and the self gravitating string solution of Horowitz and Polchinski. This solution is interesting because it has non-zero entropy at the classical level and it is natural to suspect that it might be continuously connected to the black hole. Surprisingly, we find a different behavior for heterotic and type II cases. For the type II case we find an obstruction to the idea that the two are connected as classical solutions of string theory, while no such obstruction exists for the heterotic case. We further provide a linear sigma model analysis that suggests a continuous connection for the heterotic case. We also describe a solution generating transformation that produces a charged version of the self gravitating string. This provides a fuzzball-like construction of near extremal configurations carrying fundamental string momentum and winding charges. We provide formulas which are exact in $α'$ relating the thermodynamic properties of the charged and the uncharged solutions.

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arXiv2021

Probing Quantization Via Branes

We re-examine quantization via branes with the goal of understanding its relation to geometric quantization. If a symplectic manifold $M$ can be quantized in geometric quantization using a polarization ${\mathcal P}$, and in brane quantization using a complexification $Y$, then the two quantizations agree if ${\mathcal P}$ can be analytically continued to a holomorphic polarization of $Y$. We also show, roughly, that the automorphism group of $M$ that is realized as a group of symmetries in brane quantization of $M$ is the group of symplectomorphisms of $M$ that can be analytically continued to holomorphic symplectomorphisms of $Y$. We describe from the point of view of brane quantization several examples in which geometric quantization with different polarizations gives equivalent results.

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