Related papers: Spin Foams Without Spins
We present a spin foam model in which the fundamental ``bubble amplitudes'' (the analog of the one-loop corrections in quantum field theory) are finite as the cutoff is removed. The model is a natural variant of the field theoretical…
In loop quantum gravity we now have a clear picture of the quantum geometry of space, thanks in part to the theory of spin networks. The concept of `spin foam' is intended to serve as a similar picture for the quantum geometry of spacetime.…
We derive the representation theory of $SU(2)$ from the expository theory of Lie groups and Lie algebras. Based on this, the mathematics of non-relativistic quantum mechanics of a spin $\frac{1}{2}$ particle are described from a…
We show how the fixed-spin asymptotics of the EPRL model can be used to perform the spin-sum for spin foam amplitudes defined on fixed two-complexes without interior faces and contracted with coherent spin-network states peaked on a…
We investigate whether one can observe in SO(3) and SO(4) (lattice) gauge theories the presence of spinorial flux tubes, i.e. ones that correspond to the fundamental representation of SU(2); and similarly for SO(6) and SU(4). We do so by…
We use the approach to generate spin foam models by an auxiliary field theory defined on a group manifold (as recently developed in quantum gravity and quantization of BF-theories) in the context of topological quantum field theories with a…
We give a general definition of spin foam models, and then of models of 4d quantum gravity based on constraining BF theory. We highlight the construction and quantization ambiguities entering model building, among which the choice of…
We review briefly the spin foam formalism for constructing path integrals for the BF and related theories. Then we describe how the path integral for the string theory on a group manifold can be defined as a two-dimensional spin foam state…
I discuss the use of spinors in the construction of spin-foam models, in particular the form of the closure and simplicity constraints for triangles that are space-like, i.e. with (area)$^2=\half S^{IJ}S_{IJ}>0$, regardless of whether they…
Spin foam models are the path integral counterparts to loop quantized canonical theories. In the last few years several spin foam models of gravity have been proposed, most of which live on finite simplicial lattice spacetime. The lattice…
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…
We define a four-dimensional spin-foam perturbation theory for the ${\rm BF}$-theory with a $B\wedge B$ potential term defined for a compact semi-simple Lie group $G$ on a compact orientable 4-manifold $M$. This is done by using the formal…
Group elements of SU(2) are expressed in closed form as finite polynomials of the Lie algebra generators, for all definite spin representations of the rotation group. The simple explicit result exhibits connections between group theory,…
Within the discrete gauge theory which is the basis of spin foam models, the problem of macroscopically faithful coarse graining is studied. Macroscopic data is identified; it contains the holonomy evaluation along a discrete set of loops…
In this article we consider non-convex $4d$ polytopes in $\mathbb{R}^4$. The paper consist of two parts: Firstly, we extend the proof of the formula for the $4d$ volume in terms of $2d$ face bivectors and boundary graph crossings from…
We find all the spin-foams contributing in the first order of the vertex expansion to the transition amplitude of the Bianchi-Rovelli-Vidotto Dipole Cosmology model. Our algorithm is general and provides spin-foams of arbitrarily given,…
We present the first numerical calculation of the 4D Euclidean spin foam vertex amplitude for vertices with hypercubic combinatorics. Concretely, we compute the amplitude for coherent boundary data peaked on cuboid and frustum shapes. We…
Loop quantum gravity has provided us with a canonical framework especially devised for background independent and diffeomorphism invariant gauge field theories. In this quantization the fundamental excitations are called spin network…
Four-dimensional N=1 supersymmetric Spin(N) gauge theories with matter in the vector and spinor representations are considered. Dual descriptions are known for some of these theories. It is noted that when masses are given to all fields in…
The Wegner $Z_2$ gauge theory-$Z_2$ Ising spin model duality in $(2+1)$ dimensions is revisited and derived through a series of canonical transformations. The Kramers-Wannier duality is similarly obtained. The Wegner $Z_2$ gauge-spin…