Related papers: Scale Invariance, Variety and Central Configuratio…
The configuration space of general relativity is superspace - the space of all Riemannian 3-metrics modulo diffeomorphisms. However, it has been argued that the configuration space for gravity should be conformal superspace - the space of…
Galaxy velocities in clusters, rotation curves of galaxies, and "vertical" oscillations in the Milky Way currently show too high velocities with respect to the masses thought to be involved. While these velocity excesses are currently…
We discuss the concept of discrete scale invariance and how it leads to complex critical exponents (or dimensions), i.e. to the log-periodic corrections to scaling. After their initial suggestion as formal solutions of renormalization group…
The "Self-organized criticality" (SOC), introduced in 1987 by Bak, Tang and Wiesenfeld, was an attempt to explain the 1/f noise, but it rapidly evolved towards a more ambitious scope: explaining scale invariant avalanches. In two decades,…
Generally, quantum field theories can be thought as deformations away from conformal field theories. In this article, with a simple bottom up model assumed to possess a holographic description, we study a putative large N quantum field…
The generalization of scale invariance when gravitational effects are considered is Weyl invariance, namely, invariance under (global or local) rescalings of the metric. In this work, we discuss in some details the implications of the fact…
We construct a class of theories which are scale invariant on quantum level in all orders of perturbation theory. In a subclass of these models scale invariance is spontaneously broken, leading to the existence of a massless dilaton. The…
A basic principle of physics is the freedom to locally choose any unit system when describing physical quantities. Its implementation amounts to treating Weyl invariance as a fundamental symmetry of all physical theories. In this thesis, we…
In this Letter, we address the question of whether the conformal invariance can be considered as a global symmetry of a theory of fundamental interactions. To describe Nature, this theory must contain a mechanism of spontaneous breaking of…
A new and universal method for implementing scale invariance, called best matching, is presented. It extends to scaling the method introduced by Bertotti and the author to create a fully relational dynamics that satisfies Mach's principle.…
A logic of reciprocity between inertial frames in relative uniform motion is investigated. Relativity allows any reference frame to apply Lorentz Transformation while reciprocity would require the relative frame to use Inverse…
We investigate the relation between dilatation and conformal symmetries in the statistical mechanics of flexible crystalline membranes. We analyze, in particular, a well-known model which describes the fluctuations of a continuum elastic…
The use in the action integral of totally divergent densities in generally coordinate invariant theories can lead to interesting mechanisms of spontaneous symmetry breaking of scale invariance. With dependence in the action on a metric…
In the present paper, we revisit gravitational theories which are invariant under TDiffs -- transverse (volume preserving) diffeomorphisms and global scale transformations. It is known that these theories can be rewritten in an equivalent…
We study the implications of scale invariance in four-dimensional quantum field theories. Imposing unitarity, we find that infinitely many matrix elements vanish in a suitable kinematical configuration. This vanishing is a nontrivial…
Relational particle dynamics include the dynamics of pure shape and cases in which absolute scale or absolute rotation are additionally meaningful. These are interesting as regards the absolute versus relative motion debate as well as…
Scale invariance usually occurs in extended systems where correlation functions decay algebraically in space and/or time. Here we introduce a new type of scale invariance, occurring in the distribution functions of physical observables. At…
The study of physics at the Planck scale has garnered significant attention due to its implications for understanding the fundamental nature of the universe. At the Planck scale, quantum fluctuations challenge the classical notion of…
Galactic systems, and the Universe at large, exhibit large dynamical anomalies: The observed matter in them falls very short of providing enough gravity to account for their dynamics. The mainstream response to this conundrum is to invoke…
The fundamental laws of physics are required to be invariant under local spatial scale change. In 3-dimensional space, this leads to a variation in Planck constant \hbar and speed of light c. They vary as \hbar ~ a^(1/2) and c ~ a^(-1/2), a…