Related papers: Vassiliev invariants: a new framework for quantum …

A categorification of a polynomial link invariant is an homological invariant which contains the polynomial one as its graded Euler characteristic. This field has been initiated by Khovanov categorification of the Jones polynomial. Later,…

This work introduces a new space $\T'_*$ of `vertex-smooth' states for use in the loop approach to quantum gravity. Such states provide a natural domain for Euclidean Hamiltonian constraint operators of the type introduced by Thiemann (and…

We construct a new invariant-the trunkenness-for volume-perserving vector fields on S^3 up to volume-preserving diffeomorphism. We prove that the trunkenness is independent from the helicity and that it is the limit of a knot invariant…

We connect Braided Ribbon Networks to the states of loop quantum gravity. Using this connection we present the reduced link as an invariant which captures information from the embedding of the spin-networks. We also present a means of…

We study the separability of the state space of loop quantum gravity. In the standard construction, the kinematical Hilbert space of the diffeomorphism-invariant states is nonseparable. This is a consequence of the fact that the knot-space…

The fundamental laws of physics can be derived from the requirement of invariance under suitable classes of transformations on the one hand, and from the need for a well-posed mathematical theory on the other hand. As a part of this…

Introducing a way to modify knots using $n$-trivial rational tangles, we show that knots with given values of Vassiliev invariants of bounded degree can have arbitrary unknotting number (extending a recent result of Ohyama, Taniyama and…

The evolution of spin network states in loop quantum gravity can be described by introducing a time variable, defined by the surfaces of constant value of an auxiliary scalar field. We regulate the Hamiltonian, generating such an evolution,…

The paper concerns the fictitious entanglement of the so-called ``singularities'' in problems, pertaining to quantum gravity, due, in point of fact, to the way we try to employ, in that context, differential geometry, the latter being…

Spinfoam models provide a covariant formulation of the dynamics of loop quantum gravity. They are non-perturbatively defined in the group field theory (GFT) framework: the GFT partition function defines the sum of spinfoam transition…

The Vassiliev-Gusarov link invariants of finite type are known to be closely related to perturbation theory for Chern-Simons theory. In order to clarify the perturbative nature of such link invariants, we introduce an algebra V_infinity…

We use the recently introduced U(N) framework for loop quantum gravity to study the dynamics of spin network states on the simplest class of graphs: two vertices linked with an arbitrary number N of edges. Such graphs represent two regions,…

We show that the number of homomorphisms from a knot group to a finite group $G$ cannot be a Vassiliev invariant, unless it is constant on the set of $(2,2p+1)$ torus knots. In several cases, such as when $G$ is a dihedral or symmetric…

It was shown by Goussarov that Vassiliev invariants are polynomials in the gleams for a fixed Turaev shadow. In this paper we show that Vassiliev invariants are almost characterized by this fact. We also prove that the space of knot…

The canonical quantization of diffeomorphism invariant theories of connections in terms of loop variables is revisited. Such theories include general relativity described in terms of Ashtekar-Barbero variables and extension to Yang-Mills…

Loop Quantum Gravity defines the quantum states of space geometry as spin networks and describes their evolution in time. We reformulate spin networks in terms of harmonic oscillators and show how the holographic degrees of freedom of the…

Classical gravitational evolution admits an elegant and compact re-expression in terms of gauge covariant generalizations of Lie derivatives with respect to a spatial phase space dependent $su(2)$ valued vector field called the Electric…

Loop quantum gravity in its Hamiltonian form relies on a connection formulation of the gravitational phase space with three key properties: 1.) a compact gauge group, 2.) real variables, and 3.) canonical Poisson brackets. In conjunction,…

We show that two knots have matching Vassiliev invariants of order less than n if and only if they are equivalent modulo the nth group of the lower central series of some pure braid group, thus characterizing Vassiliev's knot invariants in…

The fundamental problem of knot theory is to know whether two knots are equivalent or not. As a tool to prove that two knots are different, mathematicians have developed various invariants. Knots invariants are just functions that can be…