English

Spin foams, Refinement limit and Renormalization

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2022-11-18 v1 High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

Spin foams provide path integrals for quantum gravity, which employ discretizations as regulator. To obtain regulator independent predictions, we must remove these fiducial structures in a suitable refinement limit. In this chapter we present the current state of research: We begin with a discussion on the role of diffeomorphism symmetries in discrete systems, the notion of scale in background independent theories and how we can consistently improve theories via renormalization to reduce regulator dependence. We present the consistent boundary formulation, which provides a renormalization framework for background independent theories, and discuss tensor network methods and restricted spin foams, which provide concrete renormalization algorithms aiming at the construction of consistent boundary amplitudes for spin foams. We furthermore discuss effective spin foams, which have allowed for the construction of a perturbative refinement limit and an associated effective continuum action.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2211.09578,
  title  = {Spin foams, Refinement limit and Renormalization},
  author = {Seth K. Asante and Bianca Dittrich and Sebastian Steinhaus},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2211.09578},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

This preprint is to appear as a chapter in "Handbook of Quantum Gravity" (Editors: C. Bambi, L. Modesto and I.L. Shapiro), Springer. 38 pages, 7 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-28T06:07:35.084Z