arXiv subjects

Laurent Freidel

Publications and source records attributed to Laurent Freidel.

143 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

arXiv2003

The linearization of the Kodama state

We study the question of whether the linearization of the Kodama state around classical deSitter spacetime is normalizable in the inner product of the theory of linearized gravitons on deSitter spacetime. We find the answer is no in the Lorentzian theory. However, in the Euclidean theory the corresponding linearized Kodama state is delta-functional normalizable. We discuss whether this result invalidates the conjecture that the full Kodama state is a good physical state for quantum gravity with positive cosmological constant.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

2+1 gravity and Doubly Special Relativity

It is shown that gravity in 2+1 dimensions coupled to point particles provides a nontrivial example of Doubly Special Relativity (DSR). This result is obtained by interpretation of previous results in the field and by exhibiting an explicit transformation between the phase space algebra for one particle in 2+1 gravity found by Matschull and Welling and the corresponding DSR algebra. The identification of 2+1 gravity as a $DSR$ system answers a number of questions concerning the latter, and resolves the ambiguity of the basis of the algebra of observables. Based on this observation a heuristic argument is made that the algebra of symmetries of ultra high energy particle kinematics in 3+1 dimensions is described by some DSR theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2003

Diffeomorphisms and spin foam models

We study the action of diffeomorphisms on spin foam models. We prove that in 3 dimensions, there is a residual action of the diffeomorphisms that explains the naive divergences of state sum models. We present the gauge fixing of this symmetry and show that it explains the original renormalization of Ponzano-Regge model. We discuss the implication this action of diffeomorphisms has on higher dimensional spin foam models and especially the finite ones.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2003

Spectra of Length and Area in 2+1 Lorentzian Loop Quantum Gravity

We study the spectrum of the length and area operators in Lorentzian loop quantum gravity, in 2+1 spacetime dimensions. We find that the spectrum of spacelike intervals is continuous, whereas the spectrum of timelike intervals is discrete. This result contradicts the expectation that spacelike intervals are always discrete. On the other hand, it is consistent with the results of the spin foam quantization of the same theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2002

Asymptotics of 6j and 10j symbols

It is well known that the building blocks for state sum models of quantum gravity are given by 6j and 10j symbols. In this work we study the asymptotics of these symbols by using their expressions as group integrals. We carefully describe the measure involved in terms of invariant variables and develop new technics in order to study their asymptotics. Using these technics we compute the asymptotics of the various Euclidean and Lorentzian 6j-symbols. Finally we compute the asymptotic expansion of the 10j symbol which is shown to be non-oscillating in agreement with a recent result of Baez et al. We discuss the physical origin of this behavior and a way to modify the Barrett-Crane model in order to cure this disease.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Non-perturbative summation over 3D discrete topologies

We construct a group field theory which realizes the sum of gravity amplitudes over all three dimensional topologies trough a perturbative expansion. We prove this theory to be uniquely Borel summable. This shows how to define a non-perturbative summation over triangulations including all topologies in the context of three dimensional discrete gravity.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Spin Networks for Non-Compact Groups

Spin networks are natural generalization of Wilson loops functionals. They have been extensively studied in the case where the gauge group is compact and it has been shown that they naturally form a basis of gauge invariant observables. Physically the restriction to compact gauge group is enough for the study of Yang-mills theories, however it is well known that non-compact groups naturally arise as internal gauge groups for Lorentzian gravity models. In this context a proper construction of gauge invariant observables is needed. The purpose of this work is to define the notion of spin network states for non-compact groups. We first built, by a careful gauge fixing procedure, a natural measure and a Hilbert space structure on the space of gauge invariant graph connection. Spin networks are then defined as generalized eigenvectors of a complete set of hermitic commuting operators. We show how the delicate issue of taking the quotient of a space by non compact groups can be address in term of algebraic geometry. We finally construct the full Hilbert space containing all spin network states. Having in mind application to gravity we illustrate our results for the groups SL(2,R), SL(2,C).

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

2D Conformal Field Theories and Holography

It is known that the chiral part of any 2d conformal field theory defines a 3d topological quantum field theory: quantum states of this TQFT are the CFT conformal blocks. The main aim of this paper is to show that a similar CFT/TQFT relation exists also for the full CFT. The 3d topological theory that arises is a certain ``square'' of the chiral TQFT. Such topological theories were studied by Turaev and Viro; they are related to 3d gravity. We establish an operator/state correspondence in which operators in the chiral TQFT correspond to states in the Turaev-Viro theory. We use this correspondence to interpret CFT correlation functions as particular quantum states of the Turaev-Viro theory. We compute the components of these states in the basis in the Turaev-Viro Hilbert space given by colored 3-valent graphs. The formula we obtain is a generalization of the Verlinde formula. The later is obtained from our expression for a zero colored graph. Our results give an interesting ``holographic'' perspective on conformal field theories in 2 dimensions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

The Fuzzy Sphere Star-Product and Spin Networks

We analyze the expansion of the fuzzy sphere non-commutative product in powers of the non-commutativity parameter. To analyze this expansion we develop a graphical technique that uses spin networks. This technique is potentially interesting in its own right as introducing spin networks of Penrose into non-commutative geometry. Our analysis leads to a clarification of the link between the fuzzy sphere non-commutative product and the usual deformation quantization of the sphere in terms of the star-product.

hep-th↗

arXiv2001

A Ponzano-Regge model of Lorentzian 3-Dimensional gravity

We present the construction of the partition function of 3-dimensional gravity in the Lorentzian regime as a state sum model over a triangulation. This generalize the work of Ponzano and Regge to the case of Lorentzian signature.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1999

Simple Spin Networks as Feynman Graphs

We show how spin networks can be described and evaluated as Feynman integrals over an internal space. This description can, in particular, be applied to the so-called simple SO(D) spin networks that are of importance for higher-dimensional generalizations of loop quantum gravity. As an illustration of the power of the new formalism, we use it to obtain the asymptotics of an amplitude for the D-simplex and show that its oscillatory part is given by the Regge action.

hep-th↗

arXiv1999

Spin Foam Models and the Classical Action Principle

We propose a new systematic approach that allows one to derive the spin foam (state sum) model of a theory starting from the corresponding classical action functional. It can be applied to any theory whose action can be written as that of the BF theory plus a functional of the B field. Examples of such theories include BF theories with or without cosmological term, Yang-Mills theories and gravity in various spacetime dimensions. Our main idea is two-fold. First, we propose to take into account in the path integral certain distributional configurations of the B field in which it is concentrated along lower dimensional hypersurfaces in spacetime. Second, using the notion of generating functional we develop perturbation expansion techniques, with the role of the free theory played by the BF theory. We test our approach on various theories for which the corresponding spin foam (state sum) models are known. We find that it exactly reproduces the known models for BF and 2D Yang-Mills theories. For the BF theory with cosmological term in 3 and 4 dimensions we calculate the terms of the transition amplitude that are of the first order in the cosmological constant, and find an agreement with the corresponding first order terms of the known state sum models. We discuss implications of our results for existing quantum gravity models.

hep-th↗

arXiv1998

Discrete Space-Time Volume for 3-Dimensional BF Theory and Quantum Gravity

The Turaev-Viro state sum invariant is known to give the transition amplitude for the three dimensional BF theory with cosmological term, and its deformation parameter hbar is related with the cosmological constant via hbar=sqrt{Lambda}. This suggests a way to find the expectation value of the spacetime volume by differentiating the Turaev-Viro amplitude with respect to the cosmological constant. Using this idea, we find an explicit expression for the spacetime volume in BF theory. According to our results, each labelled triangulation carries a volume that depends on the labelling spins. This volume is explicitly discrete. We also show how the Turaev-Viro model can be used to obtain the spacetime volume for (2+1) dimensional quantum gravity.

hep-th↗

arXiv1998

From sl(2) Kirby weight systems to the asymptotic 3-manifold invariant

We give a construction of Kirby weight systems associated to sl(2) and valued into the finite field Z/pZ. We show that it is possible to apply this sequence of weight systems on the universal invariant of framed link. We also show that the corresponding sequence admits a Fermat limit, which defines an asymptotic rational homology 3-sphere quantum invariant. Moreover, this asymptotic invariant coincides with the Ohtsuki invariant.

math.QA↗

arXiv1996

Vassiliev knot invariants and Chern-Simons perturbation theory to all orders

At any order, the perturbative expansion of the expectation values of Wilson lines in Chern-Simons theory gives certain integral expressions. We show that they all lead to knot invariants. Moreover these are finite type invariants whose order coincides with the order in the perturbative expansion. Together they combine to give a universal Vassiliev invariant.

q-alg↗

arXiv1994

On Universal Vassiliev Invariants

Using properties of ordered exponentials and the definition of the Drinfeld associator as a monodromy operator for the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equations, we prove that the analytic and the combinatorial definitions of the universal Vassiliev invariants of links are equivalent.

hep-th↗

arXiv1992

The universal R-matrix and its associated quantum algebra as functionals of the classical r-matrix: the $sl_{2}$ case

Using a geometrical approach to the quantum Yang-Baxter equation, the quantum algebra ${\cal U}_{\hbar}(sl_{2})$ and its universal quantum $R$-matrix are explicitely constructed as functionals of the associated classical $r$-matrix. In this framework, the quantum algebra ${\cal U}_{\hbar}(sl_{2})$ is naturally imbedded in the universal envelopping algebra of the $sl_{2}$ current algebra.

hep-th↗