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We investigate the geometry of a quantum universe with the topology of the four-torus. The study of non-contractible geodesic loops reveals that a typical quantum geometry consists of a small semi-classical toroidal bulk part, dressed with many outgrowths, which contain most of the four-volume and which have almost spherical topologies, but nevertheless are quite fractal., Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures

Lattice formulations of gravity can be used to study non-perturbative aspects of quantum gravity. Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT) is a lattice model of gravity that has been used in this way. It has a built-in time foliation but is coordinate-independent in the spatial directions. The higher-order phase transitions observed in the model may be used to define a continuum limit of the lattice theory. Some aspects of the transitions are better studied when the topology of space is toroidal rather than spherical. In addition, a toroidal spatial topology allows us to understand more easily the nature of typical quantum fluctuations of the geometry. In particular, this topology makes it possible to use massless scalar fields that are solutions to Laplace's equation with special boundary conditions as coordinates that capture the fractal structure of the quantum geometry. When such scalar fields are included as dynamical fields in the path integral, they can have a dramatic effect on the geometry., 36 pages, a lot of figures

Using computer simulations we study the geometry of a typical quantum universe, i.e. the geometry one might expect before a possible period of inflation. We display it using coordinates defined by means of four classical scalar fields satisfying the Laplace equation with non-trivial boundary conditions. The field configurations reveal cosmic web structures surprisingly similar to the ones observed in the present-day Universe. Inflation might make these structures relevant for our Universe., 4 pages, 2 figures

Using Monte-Carlo computer simulations, we study the impact of matter fields on the geometry of a typical quantum universe in the CDT model of lattice quantum gravity. The quantum universe has the size of a few Planck lengths and the spatial topology of a three-torus. The matter fields are multi-component scalar fields taking values in a torus with circumference $\delta$ in each spatial direction, which acts as a new parameter in the CDT model. Changing $\delta$, we observe a phase transition caused by the scalar field. This discovery may have important consequences for quantum universes with non-trivial topology, since the phase transition can change the topology to a simply connected one., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

A lattice regularization for the $2$d projectable Horava-Lifshitz (HL) quantum gravity is known to be the $2$d causal dynamical triangulations (CDT), and the $2$d CDT can be generalized so as to include all possible genus contributions non-perturbatively. We show that in the context of HL gravity, effects coming from such a non-perturbative sum over topologies can be successfully taken into account, if we quantize the $2$d projectable HL gravity with a simple bi-local wormhole interaction. This conference paper is based on the article, Phys. Lett. B 816 (2021), 136205., Comment: 11 pages, contribution to the Proceedings of the 16th Marcel Grossmann Meeting (MG16)

We compute the string susceptibility $\gamma_{str}$ for the regularized Nambu-Goto string in $d$ dimensions and obtain $\gamma_{str}=1/2 $ in $2, Comment: 12 pages

A hallmark of non-perturbative theories of quantum gravity is the absence of a fixed background geometry, and therefore the absence in a Planckian regime of any notion of length or scale that is defined a priori. This has potentially far-reaching consequences for the application of renormalization group methods a la Wilson, which rely on these notions in a crucial way. We review the status quo of attempts in the Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT) approach to quantum gravity to find an ultraviolet fixed point associated with the second-order phase transitions observed in the lattice theory. Measurements of the only invariant correlator currently accessible, that of the total spatial three-volume, has not produced any evidence of such a fixed point. A possible explanation for this result is our incomplete and perhaps naive understanding of what constitutes an appropriate notion of (quantum) length near the Planck scale.

We study the zero-temperature criticality of the Ising model on two-dimensional dynamical triangulations to contemplate its physics. As it turns out, an inhomogeneous nature of the system yields an interesting phase diagram and the physics at the zero temperature is quite sensitive about how we cool down the system. We show the existence of a continuous parameter that characterizes the way we approach the zero-temperature critical point and it may enter in a critical exponent.

We investigate the transition between the phases $B$ and $C_b$ observed in four-dimensional Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT). We find that the critical properties of CDT with toroidal spatial topology are the same as earlier observed in spherical spatial topology where the $B-C_b$ transition was found to be higher-order. This may have important consequences for the existence of the continuum limit of CDT, describing the perspective UV limit of quantum gravity, which potentially can be investigated in the toroidal model., Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures

We consider multi-matrix models that are generating functions for the numbers of branched covers of the complex projective line ramified over $n$ fixed points $z_i$, $i=1,\dots,n$, (generalized Grotendieck's dessins d'enfants) of fixed genus, degree, and the ramification profiles at two points, $z_1$ and $z_n$. Ramifications at other $n-2$ points enter the sum with the length of the profile at $z_2$ and with the total length of profiles at the remaining $n-3$ points. We find the spectral curve of the model for $n=5$ using the loop equation technique for the above generating function represented as a chain of Hermitian matrices with a nearest-neighbor interaction of the type tr$M_iM_{i+1}^{-1}$. The obtained spectral curve is algebraic and provides all necessary ingredients for the topological recursion procedure producing all-genus terms of the asymptotic expansion of our model in $1/N^2$. We discuss braid-group symmetries of our model and perspectives of the proposed method., Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1409.3553

The proper-time regularization of bosonic string reproduces the results of canonical quantization in a special scaling limit where the length in target space has to be renormalized. We repeat the analysis for the Pauli-Villars regularization and demonstrate the universality of the results. In the mean-field approximation we compute the susceptibility anomalous dimension and show it equals 1/2. We discuss the relation with the previously known results on lattice strings., Comment: 1+22 pp

Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT), a candidate theory of nonperturbative quantum gravity in 4D, turns out to have a rich phase structure. We investigate the recently discovered bifurcation phase $C_b$ and relate some of its characteristics to the presence of singular vertices of very high order. The transition lines separating this phase from the "time-collapsed" $B$-phase and the de Sitter phase $C_{dS}$ are of great interest when searching for physical scaling limits. The work presented here sheds light on the mechanisms behind these transitions. First, we study how the $B$-$C_b$ transition signal depends on the volume-fixing implemented in the simulations, and find results compatible with the previously determined second-order character of the transition. The transition persists in a transfer matrix formulation, where the system's time extension is taken to be minimal. Second, we relate the new $C_b$-$C_{dS}$ transition to the appearance of singular vertices, which leads to a direct physical interpretation in terms of a breaking of the homogeneity and isotropy observed in the de Sitter phase when crossing from $C_{dS}$ to the bifurcation phase $C_b$., Comment: 32 pages, 17 figures

CDT is an attempt to formulate a non-perturbative lattice theory of quantum gravity. We describe the phase diagram and analyse the phase transition between phase B and phase C (which is the analogue of the de Sitter phase observed for the spherical spatial topology). This transition is accessible to ordinary Monte Carlo simulations when the topology of space is toroidal. We find that the transition is most likely first order, but with unusual properties. The end points of the transition line are candidates for second order phase transition points where an UV continuum limit might exist., Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures

Causal Dynamical Triangulations is a non-perturbative quantum gravity model, defined with a lattice cut-off. The model can be viewed as defined with a proper time but with no reference to any three-dimensional spatial background geometry. It has four phases, depending on the parameters (the coupling constants) of the model. The particularly interesting behavior is observed in the so-called de Sitter phase, where the spatial three-volume distribution as a function of proper time has a semi-classical behavior which can be obtained from an effective mini-superspace action. In the case of the three-sphere spatial topology, it has been difficult to extend the effective semi-classical description in terms of proper time and spatial three-volume to include genuine spatial coordinates, partially because of the background independence inherent in the model. However, if the spatial topology is that of a three-torus, it is possible to define a number of new observables that might serve as spatial coordinates as well as new observables related to the winding numbers of the three-dimensional torus. The present paper outlines how to define the observables, and how they can be used in numerical simulations of the model., 26 pages, 15 figures

Four-dimensional CDT (causal dynamical triangulations) is a lattice theory of geometries which one might use in an attempt to define quantum gravity non-perturbatively, following the standard procedures of lattice field theory. Being a theory of geometries, the phase transitions which in usual lattice field theories are used to define the continuum limit of the lattice theory will in the CDT case be transitions between different types of geometries. This picture is interwoven with the topology of space which is kept fixed in the lattice theory, the reason being that "classical" geometries around which the quantum fluctuations take place depend crucially on the imposed topology. Thus it is possible that the topology of space can influence the phase transitions and the corresponding critical phenomena used to extract continuum physics. In this article we perform a systematic comparison between a CDT phase transition where space has spherical topology and the "same" transition where space has toroidal topology. The "classical" geometries around which the systems fluctuate are very different it the two cases, but we find that the order of phase transition is not affected by this., Comment: 41 pages, many figures

We quantize the two-dimensional projectable Horava-Lifshitz gravity with a bi-local as well as space-like wormhole interaction. The resulting quantum Hamiltonian coincides with the one obtained through summing over all genus in the string field theory for two-dimensional causal dynamical triangulations. This implies that our wormhole interaction can be interpreted as a splitting or joining interaction of one-dimensional strings., Comment: 10 pages

We show that in a two-dimensional model of quantum gravity the summation over all possible wormhole configurations leads to a kind of Coleman mechanism where the cosmological constant plays no role for large universes. Observers who are unable to observe the change in topology will naturally interpret the measurements of the size of the universe as being caused by a fluctuating cosmological constant, rather than fluctuating topology of spacetime., 11 pages, 2 figures

We study the geodesic two- and three-point functions of random weighted cubic maps, which are obtained by assigning random edge lengths to random cubic planar maps. Explicit expressions are obtained by taking limits of recently established bivariate multi-point functions of general planar maps. We give an alternative interpretation of the two-point function in terms of an Eden model exploration process on a random planar triangulation. Finally, the scaling limits of the multi-point functions are studied, showing in particular that the two- and three-point functions of the Brownian map are recovered as the number of faces is taken to infinity., Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures, several details and clarifications added

We propose a model for the universe based on Jordan algebras. The action consists of cubic terms with coefficients being the structure constants of a Jordan algebra. Coupling constants only enter the theory via symmetry breaking which also selects a physical vacuum. "Before" the symmetry breaking the universe is in a pre-geometric state where it makes no sense to talk about space or time, but time comes into existence with the symmetry breaking together with a Hamiltonian which can create space from "nothing" and in some cases can propagate the space to macroscopic size in a finite time. There exists symmetry breaking which results in macroscopic spacetime dimensions 3, 4, 6 and 10, based on the Jordan algebras of Hermitian 3x3 matrices with real, complex, quarternion and octonion entries,respectively., 61 pages, 6 figures

We investigate the impact of topology on the phase structure of four-dimensional Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT). Using numerical Monte Carlo simulations we study CDT with toroidal spatial topology. We confirm existence of all four distinct phases of quantum geometry earlier observed in CDT with spherical spatial topology. We plot the toroidal CDT phase diagram and find that it looks very similar to the case of the spherical spatial topology., 24 pages, 15 figures

We study perturbations around the generalized Kazakov multicritical one-matrix model. The multicritical matrix model has a potential where the coefficients of $z^n$ only fall off as a power $1/n^{s+1}$. This implies that the potential and its derivatives have a cut along the real axis, leading to technical problems when one performs perturbations away from the generalized Kazakov model. Nevertheless it is possible to relate the perturbed partition function to the tau-function of a KdV hierarchy and solve the model by a genus expansion in the double scaling limit., Comment: 2 figures

We show that for 1+1 dimensional Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT) coupled to 4 massive scalar fields one can construct an effective transfer matrix if the masses squared is larger than or equal to 0.05. The properties of this transfer matrix can explain why CDT coupled to matter can behave completely different from "pure" CDT. We identify the important critical exponent in the effective action, which may determine the universality class of the model., Comment: 14 pages,lot of figures

We study matter with central charge $c >1$ coupled to two-dimensional (2d) quantum gravity, here represented as causal dynamical triangulations (CDT). 2d CDT is known to provide a regularization of (Euclidean) 2d Ho��ava-Lifshitz quantum gravity. The matter fields are massive Gaussian fields, where the mass is used to monitor the central charge $c$. Decreasing the mass we observe a higher order phase transition between an effective $c=0$ theory and a theory where $c>1$. In this sense the situation is somewhat similar to that observed for "standard" dynamical triangulations (DT) which provide a regularization of 2d quantum Liouville gravity. However, the geometric phase observed for $c >1$ in CDT is very different from the corresponding phase observed for DT., 16 pages, 10 figures

Quantization of the bosonic string around the classical, perturbative vacuum is not consistent for spacetime dimensions 2, Comment: v2: 6pp, section about vacuum instability/stability added, to appear in PLB

We describe a CDT-like model where breaking of W3 symmetry will lead to the emergence of time and subsequently of space. Surprisingly the simplest such models which lead to higher dimensional spacetimes are based on the four "magical" Jordan algebras of 3x3 Hermitian matrices with real, complex, quaternion and octonion entries, respectively. The simplest symmetry breaking leads to universes with spacetime dimensions 3, 4, 6, and 10.

We describe a model where breaking of W3 symmetry will lead to the emergence of time and subsequently of space. Surprisingly the simplest such models which lead to higher dimensional spacetimes are based on the four “magical” Jordan algebras of 3 × 3 Hermitian matrices with real, complex, quaternion and octonion entries, respectively. The simplest symmetry breaking leads to universes with spacetime dimensions 3, 4, 6, and 10.

We recently formulated a model of the universe based on an underlying W3-symmetry. It allows the creation of the universe from nothing and the creation of baby universes and wormholes for spacetimes of dimension 2, 3, 4, 6 and 10. Here we show that the classical large time and large space limit of these universes is one of exponential fast expansion without the need of a cosmological constant. Under a number of simplifying assumptions our model predicts that w=-1.2 in the case of four-dimensional spacetime. The possibility of obtaining a w-value less than -1 is linked to the ability of our model to create baby universes and wormholes., Comment: Clarifying comment on page 4

We reinvestigate the recently discovered bifurcation phase transition in Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT) and provide further evidence that it is a higher order transition. We also investigate the impact of introducing matter in the form of massless scalar fields to CDT. We discuss the impact of scalar fields on the measured spatial volumes and fluctuation profiles in addition to analysing how the scalar fields influence the position of the bifurcation transition., 15 pages, 11 figures. Conforms with version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D

We compute scattering amplitudes of the regularized bosonic Nambu-Goto string in the mean-field approximation, disregarding fluctuations of the Lagrange multiplier and an independent metric about their mean values. We use the previously introduced Lilliputian scaling limit to recover the Regge behavior of the amplitudes with the usual linear Regge trajectory in space-time dimensions d>2. We demonstrate a stability of this minimum of the effective action under fluctuations for d, 11 pages, v2: typos corrected, to appear in PRD

3+1 dimensional Causal Dynamical Triangulations (CDT) describe a quantum theory of fluctuating geometries without the introduction of a background geometry. If the topology of space is constrained to be that of a three-dimensional torus we show that the system will fluctuate around a dynamically formed background geometry which can be understood from a simple minisuperspace action which contains both a classical part and a quantum part. We determine this action by integrating out degrees of freedom in the full model, as well as by transfer matrix methods., Comment: 28 pages, 15 figures

We present the multi-matrix models that are the generating functions for branched covers of the complex projective line ramified over $n$ fixed points $z_i$, $i=1,\dots,n$, (generalized Grotendieck's dessins d'enfants) of fixed genus, degree, and the ramification profiles at two points, $z_1$ and $z_n$. We take a sum over all possible ramifications at other $n-2$ points with the fixed length of the profile at $z_2$ and with the fixed total length of profiles at the remaining $n-3$ points. All these models belong to a class of hypergeometric Hurwitz models thus being tau functions of the Kadomtsev--Petviashvili (KP) hierarchy. In the case described above, we can present the obtained model as a chain of matrices with a (nonstandard) nearest-neighbor interaction of the type $\tr M_iM_{i+1}^{-1}$. We describe the technique for evaluating spectral curves of such models, which opens the possibility of applying the topological recursion for developing $1/N^2$-expansions of these model. These spectral curves turn out to be of an algebraic type., 12 pages, 2 figures in LaTeX, contribution to the volume of TMPh celebrating the 75th birthday of A A Slavnov

In order to study the quantum geometry of random surfaces in Liouville gravity, we propose a definition of geodesic distance associated to a Gaussian free field on a regular lattice. This geodesic distance is used to numerically determine the Hausdorff dimension associated to shortest cycles of 2d quantum gravity on the torus coupled to conformal matter fields, showing agreement with a conjectured formula by Y. Watabiki. Finally, the numerical tools are put to test by quantitatively comparing the distribution of lengths of shortest cycles to the corresponding distribution in large random triangulations., 21 pages, 8 figures

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By appropriate scaling of coupling constants a one-parameter family of ensembles of two-dimensional geometries is obtained, which interpolates between the ensembles of (generalized) causal dynamical triangulations and ordinary dynamical triangulations. We study the fractal properties of the associated continuum geometries and identify both global and local Hausdorff dimensions., 12 pages, 3 figures

Lattice regularizations of the bosonic string allow no tachyons. This has often been viewed as the reason why these theories have never managed to make any contact to standard continuum string theories when the dimension of spacetime is larger than two. We study the continuum string theory in large spacetime dimensions where simple mean field theory is reliable. By keeping carefully the cutoff we show that precisely the existence of a tachyon makes it possible to take a scaling limit which reproduces the lattice-string results. We compare this scaling limit with another scaling limit which reproduces standard continuum-string results. If the people working with lattice regularizations of string theories are akin to Gulliver they will view the standard string-world as a Lilliputian world no larger than a few lattice spacings., 11 pages, 1 figure

We investigate the impact of spatial topology in 3+1 dimensional causal dynamical triangulations (CDT) by performing numerical simulations with toroidal spatial topology instead of the previously used spherical topology. In the case of spherical spatial topology we observed in the so-called phase C an average spatial volume distribution n(t) which after a suitable time redefinition could be identified as the spatial volume distribution of the four-sphere. Imposing toroidal spatial topology we find that the average spatial volume distribution n(t) is constant. By measuring the covariance matrix of spatial volume fluctuations we determine the form of the effective action. The difference compared to the spherical case is that the effective potential has changed such that it allows a constant average n(t). This is what we observe and this is what one would expect from a minisuperspace GR action where only the scale factor is kept as dynamical variable. Although no background geometry is put in by hand, the full quantum theory of CDT is also with toroidal spatial toplogy able to identify a classical background geometry around which there are well defined quantum fluctuations., Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures

We search for a continuum limit in the causal dynamical triangulation (CDT) approach to quantum gravity by determining the change in lattice spacing using two independent methods. The two methods yield similar results that may indicate how to tune the relevant couplings in the theory in order to take a continuum limit., Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures. Title change and journal reference added

We define multicritical CDT models of 2d quantum gravity and show that they are a special case of multicritical generalized CDT models obtained from the new scaling limit, the so-called "classical" scaling limit, of matrix models. The multicritical behavior agrees with the multicritical behavior of the so-called branched polymers., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures. References added

We define a new scaling limit of matrix models which can be related to the method of causal dynamical triangulations (CDT) used when investigating two-dimensional quantum gravity. Surprisingly, the new scaling limit of the matrix models is also a matrix model, thus explaining why the recently developed CDT continuum string field theory (arXiv:0802.0719) has a matrix-model representation (arXiv:0804.0252)., Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures

We implement a proper-time UV regularisation of the Nambu-Goto string, introducing an independent metric tensor and the corresponding Lagrange multiplier, and treating them in the mean-field approximation justified for long strings and/or when the dimensions of space-time is large. We compute the regularised determinant of the 2d Laplacian for the closed string winding around a compact dimension, obtaining in this way the effective action, whose minimisation determines the energy of the string ground state in the mean-field approximation. We discuss the existence of two scaling limits when the cutoff is taken to infinity. One scaling limit reproduces the results obtained by the hypercubic regularisation of the Nambu-Goto string as well as by the use of the dynamical triangulation regularisation of the Polyakov string. The other scaling limit reproduces the results obtained by canonical quantisation of the Nambu-Goto string., 35 pages

We study string field theory (third quantization) of the two-dimensional model of quantum geometry called generalized CDT (“causal dynamical triangulations”). Like in standard non-critical string theory the so-called string field Hamiltonian of generalized CDT can be associated with W -algebra generators through the string mode expansion. This allows us to define an “absolute” vacuum. “Physical” vacua appear as coherent states created by vertex operators acting on the absolute vacuum. Each coherent state corresponds to specific values of the coupling constants of generalized CDT. The cosmological “time” only exists relatively to a given “physical” vacuum and comes into existence before space, which is created because the “physical” vacuum is unstable. Thus each CDT “universe” is created as a “Big Bang” from the absolute vacuum, its time evolution is governed by the CDT string field Hamiltonian with given coupling constants, and one can imagine interactions between CDT universes with different coupling constants (“fourth quantization”)