Do holographic CFT states have unique semiclassical bulk duals?
Abstract
We discuss a situation where a holographic CFT state has multiple semiclassical bulk duals. In our example, a given holographic state has two simple, semiclassical descriptions, one with a closed universe, constructed using the gravitational path integral, and one without a closed universe, constructed using the extrapolate dictionary. This highlights an ambiguity in the AdS/CFT dictionary. We propose various options for resolving this tension although none are perfectly satisfactory. We also discuss what this implies for the black hole interior and the gravitational path integral.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2408.02720,
title = {Do holographic CFT states have unique semiclassical bulk duals?},
author = {Stefano Antonini and Pratik Rath},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2408.02720},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
10 pages, 3 figures, Essay written for the Gravity Research Foundation 2025 Awards for Essays on Gravitation, typos fixed in v2, modified options and added figures in v3