Related papers: A spin-foam vertex amplitude with the correct semi…

Spin foam models, an approach to defining the dynamics of loop quantum gravity, make use of the Plebanski formulation of gravity, in which gravity is recovered from a topological field theory via certain constraints called simplicity…

Spin foam vertex amplitudes are the key ingredient of spin foam models for quantum gravity. These fall into the realm of discretized path integral, and can be seen as generalized lattice gauge theories. They can be seen as an attempt at a…

Spin foam models of quantum gravity are based on Plebanski's formulation of general relativity as a constrained BF theory. We give an alternative formulation of gravity as BF theory plus a certain potential term for the B-field. When the…

We propose an explicit spin-foam amplitude for Lorentzian gravity in three dimensions, allowing for both space- and time-like boundaries. The model is based on two main requirements: that it should be structurally similar to its well-known…

We introduce a three-dimensional Plebanski action for the gauge group SO(4). In this model, the $B$ field satisfies quadratic simplicity constraints similar to that of the four-dimensional Plebanski theory, but with the difference that the…

Modern spin-foam models of four dimensional gravity are based on a discrete version of the $Spin(4)$ Plebanski formulation. Beyond what is already in the literature, we clarify the meaning of different Plebanski sectors in this classical…

The first computation of a spin foam dynamics that provides a test of the quantum equations of motions of gravity is presented. Specifically, a triangulation that includes an inner edge is treated. The computation leverages the recently…

Spin foam models are an approach to quantum gravity based on the concept of sum over states, which aims to describe quantum spacetime dynamics in a way that its parent framework, loop quantum gravity, has not as of yet succeeded. Since…

The Spin Foam approach to quantum gravity aims at providing a covariant path-integral formulation of canonical Loop Quantum Gravity. Since spin foam amplitudes are defined through discretisations of spacetime, understanding the continuum…

As established in a prior work of the author, the linear simplicity constraints used in the construction of the so-called `new' spin-foam models mix three of the five sectors of Plebanski theory as well as two dynamical orientations, and…

The spinfoam framework is a proposal for a regularized path integral for quantum gravity. Spinfoams define quantum space-time structures describing the evolution in time of the spin network states for quantum geometry derived from Loop…

In the quest of a physical theory of quantum gravity, spin foam models, or in short spinfoams, propose a well-defined path integral summing over quantized discrete space-time geometries. At the crossroad of topological quantum field theory,…

Starting from Plebanski formulation of gravity as a constrained BF theory we propose a new spin foam model for 4d Riemannian quantum gravity that generalises the well-known Barrett-Crane model and resolves the inherent to it ultra-locality…

In this article we review the present status of the spin foam formulation of non-perturbative (background independent) quantum gravity. The article is divided in two parts. In the first part we present a general introduction to the main…

Spin foam theory is a concrete framework for quantum gravity where numerical calculations of transition amplitudes are possible. Recently, the field became very active, but the entry barrier is steep, mainly because of its unusual language…

We define an effective action for spin foam models of quantum gravity by adapting the background field method from quantum field theory. We show that the Regge action is the leading term in the semi-classical expansion of the spin foam…

The most common spin foam models of gravity are widely believed to be discrete path integral quantizations of the Plebanski action. However, their derivation in present formulations is incomplete and lower dimensional simplex amplitudes are…

Recently a quantum group deformation of EPRL spinfoam model was proposed in arXiv:1012.4216 by one of the authors, and in arXiv:1012.4784 by Fairbairn and Meusburger. It is interesting to study the high spin asymptotics of the quantum group…

We investigate a formulation of continuum 4d gravity in terms of a constrained topological (BF) theory, in the spirit of the Plebanski formulation, but involving only linear constraints, of the type used recently in the spin foam approach…

We develop a numerical method to investigate the semiclassical limit of spin foam amplitudes with many vertices. We test it using the Ponzano-Regge model, a spin foam model for three-dimensional euclidean gravity, and a transition amplitude…