Path integral suppression of badly behaved causal sets

Journal Article · 31 March 2023 · Classical and Quantum Gravity

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382/acc50c· OSTI ID:2419376

Carlip, P. ^[1]; Carlip, S.; Surya, S.

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1. OSTI

Abstract

Causal set theory is a discrete model of spacetime that retains a notion of causal structure. We understand how to construct causal sets that approximate a given spacetime, but most causal sets are not at all manifold-like, and must be dynamically excluded if something like our Universe is to emerge from the theory. Here we show that the most common of these ‘bad’ causal sets, the Kleitman–Rothschild orders, are strongly suppressed in the gravitational path integral, and we provide evidence that a large class of other ‘bad’ causal sets are similarly suppressed. It thus becomes plausible that continuum behavior could emerge naturally from causal set quantum theory.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-91ER40674
• OSTI ID: 2419376
• Journal Information: Classical and Quantum Gravity, Journal Name: Classical and Quantum Gravity Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 40; ISSN 0264-9381
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Astronomy & Astrophysics
Physics