Related papers: Quantum geometry from 2+1 AdS quantum gravity on t…
In the context of quantum gravity for spacetimes of dimension 2+1, we describe progress in the construction of a quantum Goldman bracket for intersecting loops on surfaces. Using piecewise linear paths in R^2 (representing loops on the…
We continue our investigation into intersections of closed paths on a torus, to further our understanding of the commutator algebra of Wilson loop observables in 2+1 quantum gravity, when the cosmological constant is negative. We give a…
In the context of (2+1)--dimensional quantum gravity with negative cosmological constant and topology R x T^2, constant matrix--valued connections generate a q--deformed representation of the fundamental group, and signed area phases relate…
In the context of (2+1)--dimensional gravity, we use holonomies of constant connections which generate a $q$--deformed representation of the fundamental group to derive signed area phases which relate the quantum matrices assigned to…
We describe some results concerning the phase space of 3-dimensional Einstein gravity when space is a torus and with negative cosmological constant. The approach uses the holonomy matrices of flat SL(2,R) connections on the torus to…
We review the geometrical properties of vacuum spacetimes in (2+1)-gravity with vanishing cosmological constant. We explain how these spacetimes are characterised as quotients of their universal cover by holonomies. We explain how this…
We relate the geometrical and the Chern-Simons description of (2+1)-dimensional gravity for spacetimes of topology $R\times S_g$, where $S_g$ is an oriented two-surface of genus $g>1$, for Lorentzian signature and general cosmological…
We use the polygon representation of 2+1--dimensional gravity to explicitly carry out the canonical quantization of a universe with the topology of a torus. The mapping-class-invariant wave function for a quantum ''big bounce'', is…
We describe a deformation of the observable algebra of quantum gravity in which the loop algebra is extended to framed loops. This allows an alternative nonperturbative quantization which is suitable for describing a phase of quantum…
The abstract quantum algebra of observables for 2+1 gravity is analysed in the limit of small cosmological constant. The algebra splits into two sets with an explicit phase space representation;~one set consists of $6g-6$ {\it commuting}…
A new functional calculus, developed recently for a fully non-perturbative treatment of quantum gravity, is used to begin a systematic construction of a quantum theory of geometry. Regulated operators corresponding to areas of 2-surfaces…
Pure (2+1)-dimensional Einstein gravity is analysed in the Ashtekar formulation, when the spatial manifold is a torus. We have found a set of globally defined observables, forming a closed algebra. This allowed us to solve the quantum…
Chern-Simons formulation of 2+1 dimensional Einstein gravity with a negative cosmological constant is investigated when the spacetime has the topology $ R\times T^{2}$. The physical phase space is shown to be a direct product of two…
We study the phase space structure and the quantization of a pointlike particle in 2+1 dimensional gravity. By adding boundary terms to the first order Einstein Hilbert action, and removing all redundant gauge degrees of freedom, we arrive…
Attention is focused on antisymmetrized versions of quantum spaces that are of particular importance in physics, i.e. two-dimensional quantum plane, q-deformed Euclidean space in three or four dimensions as well as q-deformed Minkowski…
The $q$-deformed loop gravity framework was introduced as a canonical formalism for the Turaev-Viro model (with $\Lambda < 0$), allowing to quantize 3D Euclidean gravity with a (negative) cosmological constant using a quantum deformation of…
We develop a new perspective on the discretization of the phase space structure of gravity in 2+1 dimensions as a piecewise-flat geometry in 2 spatial dimensions. Starting from a subdivision of the continuum geometric and phase space…
We review and systematize recent attempts to canonically quantize general relativity in 2+1 dimensions, defined on space-times $\R\times\Sigma^g$, where $\Sigma^g$ is a compact Riemann surface of genus $g$. The emphasis is on quantizations…
We show that there are 2 equivalent first order descriptions of 2+1 gravity with non-zero cosmological constant. One is the well-known spacetime description and the other is in terms of evolving conformal geometry. The key tool that links…
A set of observables is described for the topological quantum field theory which describes quantum gravity in three space-time dimensions with positive signature and positive cosmological constant. The simplest examples measure the…